The Uzumaki Seal
by MerhppDerhpp
Summary: She was on her deathbed, and had wondered if reincarnation worked. Apparently it did, and in the strangest ways. She was one to always go with the flow...most of the time. Self Insert OC. Anti-hero/Antagonist sort of OC. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. I'm the author of the story; 'I'm a What?' and this is my new story. Enjoy.**

* * *

Reincarnation was something many cultures believed in.

When you died, your memories would be wiped as your soul moves on to the next life. You start again, not knowing any of your past lives.

That's what a certain girl who laid on her deathbed thought. Her dull eyes were losing their light, but her mind wouldn't stop racing.

What were the chances that she would be reincarnated? Where? Who would she be?

Perhaps it was a last minute hope that she at least have the chance to start a new life. It was inevitable that she was going to die now. There was no point in trying to deny it all when the facts laid out.

She could feel her heart beat ever so slowly; giving her only a few more minutes before she would be gone of this world. There were people surrounding her, tears in their eyes as they already mourned for her. The senses in her hand were lost as someone grasped it.

_'This is it...'_

Her eyes slowly shut as her heart slowly came to a stop. Her body went limp on the bed and the monitor made a familiar but horrible sound indicating that she was gone forever.

The girl's last thoughts were; _'How strange would it be if I ended up in Naruto...'_

* * *

Karin stared up at the man who had the same fiery red hair she had. His eyes were a deep emerald that illuminated kindness. Her own eyes (a matching colour to her hair), shifted to the small body laying on the cheap mat.

It was the body of a little girl who appeared to only be a year or two older than her. Karin could sense the bleak chakra slowly running through the veins, but it had no individual feel to it; letting her realise that this really was actually just a body with a barely living chakra system. However strange that was.

She watched as the man created a strange seal on the body's torso, the spiral crest of her long-dead clan was centered in the middle of the design as strange symbols expanded to wrap entirely around the upper body.

It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and it fascinated her. After the man had finished, the bespectacled girl took a closer look at the female body. Its hair was rather spiky and messy at the top; the untamed bangs obscuring its forehead and would hinder its eyesight if it ever opened them. Now that she had a closer look, the body's eyelashes were ridiculously long and its face was a lot slender than it should've been; as there was less baby fat than usual. She had to admit that the body was really pretty, even if there were strange ring-like tattoos in sets of three around the wrists and ankles.

"Hey, uncle." Karin called, turning around to face the man. His eyes shifted over to her, a kind smile formed on his lips.

"Yes, Karin-chan?" He asked with a deep but comforting voice.

"Why are there these marks?" She asked as curiously as a child would, lightly touching the body's wrist.

Something glinted within the man's eyes, but Karin couldn't identify it. She did note the fluctuation in his chakra.

"Karin-chan, come here."

The small redhead obediently walked towards the man and looked up at him through her tattered glasses.

"I want you to look after the body for me." He stated, chuckling at the way she made a childish face.

"But why? It's just a body." She retorted, confused.

"It's my daughter's body, you see." The man revealed patiently, looking at the motionless body on the mat. "She was born without a soul, and the seal I put on her would make sure that she gets one."

Karin blinked, looking between the body and the man who was supposedly its father.

"You may not get it now, but one day she's going to wake up and you'll have to help her adjust to the world. I'm not going to be around for much longer." He explained solemnly, patting the small redhead in his lap.

"Is she going to be my sister?" Karin questioned excitedly, eyes lighting up with childish hope. She had no one, and to have a sister would be the best thing in the world.

Her uncle smiled. "Yes. I'm sure she'd like that too."

* * *

The small redhead straddled the female body below her, her fingers pulling open the eyelids to reveal empty emerald eyes. She ignored the colour, instead focusing on putting the permanent eyeliner on the upper and lower waterline.

Ever since she got it, she'd been dying to put it on her sleeping sister and make her eyes look even prettier. But she knew that if she messed up, she wouldn't be able to try again; and so she practiced on the other kids. Karin got in trouble for making them look ugly, but it was worth it in the long while.

Minutes passed and she was finally done after creating a small wing on both eyes. It contrasted with her pale but flawless skin rather beautifully, though her slightly thick lips were without a pinkish hue as always.

"Done! Now you look even prettier, nee-chan!" She grinned, proud that the eyeliner was perfect on her sister. After a few minutes, she sighed, hopping off the body and walking towards the small water supply in the corner of her hut. "When are you going to wake up, nee-chan?"

It had been three weeks since uncle had left nee-chan in her care, and she still hadn't woke up. No one visited the small Uzumaki, who was somewhat of an outcast to the rest of her small village. They didn't hate her, but they thought that her ability to sense them was rather unnerving. It had been hard to be by herself, but now that she had her sister; she wasn't lonely. Nee-chan would wake up soon and they'd be able to live happily.

Sooner than she expected.

Karin jumped in surprise at the sudden surge of chakra from behind her, shrieking girlishly as the cold water hit her shins. "Dammit!"

A rather large gasp escaped the mouth of what was previously just a body without a soul. Karin's eyes widened as her sister woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly as she breathed for dear life. A rush of excitement ran through her body at the lively feel of her chakra.

_'She woke up!'_

Her sister groaned, placing a petite hand on her forehead. "What the hell?" She muttered, before sitting up and opening her eyes in shock at the surprisingly high pitch of her voice. "The hell?"

"Nee-chan!" Emerald eyes darted towards the voice, only to realise in horror that she was about to be glomped.

"Umph!" They both fell back at the force, but Karin laughed gleefully whilst she attached herself to her sister's waist.

"You're finally awake! I knew you'd wake up!" She cheered, thoroughly confusing the girl who had just been glomped by what seemed to be another girl who appeared to be only seven or eight.

"Huh?" Was all the girl could voice, her mind turning up a blank at this point.

"Oh, right." Karin released her sister, instead sitting on the older girl's legs. "Uncle said you'd be confused. My name is Uzumaki Karin! Your imouto!" She introduced herself with a grin, pushing up the horrible-looking glasses awkwardly.

Emerald eyes widened in confusion. _'Uzumaki Karin?! As in, Karin from Naruto; the manga and anime?!'_

"Don't worry, nee-chan! I'll help you with all I can!" Karin announced determinedly, before faltering guiltily. "Say, nee-chan..."

Her nee-chan raised a fiery eyebrow, watching as the smaller girl fidgeted. "What's your name?"

_'Oh.'_

"My name is Shiru..." She replied softly, internally wondering if she should say her last name. Shiru was a rather Japanese name compared to her western heritage, but her mother was indeed of Japanese descent; so it made sense.

Karin beamed. "So you're Uzumaki Shiru! My older sister!"

The girl recently revealed as Shiru blinked, registering the strange situation. _'How did I end up here? Am I dreaming or what?'_

It didn't feel like a dream at all, there was this strange energy running throughout her entire body at a rather alarming speed; and all the sensations like feeling Karin in her lap and her hands touching the rugged mat were quite real.

The older redhead felt like face palming. _'Don't tell me that I actually was reincarnated to Naruto, of all places? Was it because of my last thoughts?'_

She should be dead, by all means. But the fact that she was alive, in a body that was definitely not hers gave her the only conclusion that she was reincarnated into a TV show.

"Uhm...nee-chan? Is something wrong? Do you feel sick?" Shiru's 'little sister' asked her with a tone of worry. Her voice brought the bigger redhead out of her thoughts.

"Ah...yeah. I'm fine." She replied a little awkwardly, suddenly noticing that she was speaking in Japanese subconsciously. _'I suppose it's a good thing I learnt it from a young age.'_

The thought of entering this situation and wondering what the hell the jumpy redhead in front of her was saying was rather unpleasant.

Shiru blinked at the way her bangs were unruly and obscured some of her eyesight, taking note of her eyelashes brushing against the red strands. _'They must be rather long...'_

"Hey, Shiru-chan."

At the mention of her name, her eyes shifted to the chubby-face Karin who grinned fondly at her. "Your chakra feels nice."

The older girl blinked, now sensing what seemed to be Karin's chakra. It reminded her of perfume, for some reason. "Yours reminds me of perfume." She admitted dully. What surprised her was that she could sense some weak chakra signatures nearby, each individual yet strangely bleak to her mind.

The younger girl positively beamed. "Really?! Yours reminds me of a silver key. How mysterious!" She cupped her cheeks dramatically.

_'It's nice to know she's still as unique as she was as a teenager.'_ Shiru mentally sighed, though outwardly smiled slightly in amusement. The whole turn of events was surprising, but she was a girl who would just go with the flow. Most of the time.

After a few hours, Shiru realised that Karin was actually rather lonely, and her presence seemed to let the girl keep a smile on her face. The small girl with glasses kept talking about the village, the people, herself, etc. In all honesty, she was rather interested in the information.

Chakra sensing came naturally to Karin, and when she told the girl that she felt quite a few in the area; the small redhead jumped up in glee and yelled things about not being the only one.

_'I suspect that I'm still rather pitiful in sensing compared to her.'_ Shiru noted mentally. She was more occupied with her own chakra, which gave her quite a few pains and aches here and there.

Karin stated that because her body was actually growing without someone to function it, her chakra reserves were making up for lost time and rapidly growing to suit the current user.

"Though I think that uncle's seal bound you to that body, so it's yours forever." She explained, adjusting her glasses as she poured the hot water into a cracked cup.

Shiru lifted the ragged-looking shirt she wore to see the certain seal her apparent sister was talking about. It had a familiar swirl in the center, with unfamiliar symbols surrounding it and extending all the way to her back.

"I don't know what the three ring tattoos on your arms and legs are for, though."

Sure enough, there were these thick black marking surrounding her wrists and ankles in sets of threes. It was most peculiar, but somehow it reminded her of branding; like an owner would do to a slave.

Perhaps they were.

"You mentioned an uncle," Shiru started, her tone sounding as if she was uninterested, but she wouldn't have mentioned it if she wasn't. "was he my father?"

Karin nodded enthusiastically. "He was a really handsome man, really kind too. You have the same eyes," she pointed out, "but yours are darker and more closed off than his. I..." her enthusiasm died down as she looked to the ground. "...I think he's not in this world anymore."

_'Wouldn't be surprised if he went to my world.'_ Shiru nearly snorted rudely.

"But you and I will look out for each other! Like sisters!" The smaller redhead was a bundle of energy and even a little bit of sass.

"I suppose we shall." The taller redhead agreed absentmindedly.

* * *

A few weeks had past since Shiru's mysterious entrance to the Naruto world, but things were relatively good for a while. Karin had taught her how to hone her senses, and they often trained in the forest to sense the animals that were around. She wasn't nearly as good as Karin, but it was an improvement.

Getting used to a smaller body wasn't that hard, not when it felt stronger than her previous one. It could've been the unique traits that Uzumaki people come with.

Unfortunately, they had both sensed a huge amount of people coming towards them on a day they were in their small hut.

"That's a lot of people." Shiru muttered softly, vaguely uncaring of their approach.

"I think we need to hide, nee-chan..." Karin suggested worriedly, grabbing her sister's arm and pulling her up with all her strength. It was wasted since the older girl stood up by herself. "They don't seem friendly."

Trusting Karin's judgment, Shiru nodded and let the smaller girl lead her into the forest where they wouldn't be found. Frankly, neither of them gave any shits for the rest of the villagers.

It was only in the few minutes of them finding a place to hide that their village was invaded by a small army. From the trees above, they watched as the land and the villagers burned to ash; both expressions impassive to the slaughter.

If any of the people below had seen them, they would've been unnerved by the strange way they hadn't reacted to the slaughter and the screams. Two small girls who watched as if they were bored was just plain unnatural.

Once the worst was over, the two redheads climbed down from their hiding spot and stood side by side as they looked at the rubble that was once their home.

_'Not much of a home...'_ Karin sneered in her head. Her eyes looked up to the rather intimidating chakra signature coming towards them, and nudged her elder sister.

Shiru blinked, looking ahead of the smoke and concentrating on sensing whatever it was Karin had already found.

Her efforts were null since the one she'd be looking for was standing right in front of them, a familiar flick of a rather unnatural tongue reminding her how much of a weirdo this guy was.

_'Not that I can say I'm normal,'_ She admitted in thought.

Both girls analysed the man who could only be Orochimaru with varying expressions. The snake sannin looked with unshielded curiosity at their similar yet different appearances.

The girl with the glasses gazed up at him with awe, and the taller one with the unkempt and long hair stared with a glint of hidden knowledge. They both shared the fiery red hair colour that reminded him of the Uzumaki clan members.

_'Interesting...'_ He purred mentally, before twisting his lips into an almost deranged but polite smile.

"Hello, girls..." The man greeted them with a flick of his tongue, smile widening at their curious reactions._ 'No fear at all...'_

"Hello, sir!" Karin greeted enthusiastically, a certain sparkle in her red eyes.

"May I inquire as to how you survived, hm?" He questioned the girl who spoke, tilting his head slightly. No one else survived but these two. How, though?

"We both sensed lots of people coming towards us." She explained with a proud grin, wrapping her arms around the taller girl's.

"Karin was the one who sensed their hostility." Shiru added with a nonchalant tone, not wanting the snake to think she was as good as the small girl clinging to her.

"Oh, shush nee-chan!" Karin chided her sister angrily. "You just need practice and you'll be as good as me in no time."

Orochimaru watched with amusement as the older girl simply shrugged.

"Well, Karin-chan..." He started softly, bringing their attention back to him, "would you and your onee-chan like to accompany me back to my home?"

Karin's eyes lit up excitedly, whilst Shiru's once again glinted as if she knew something he didn't.

"Only if you make me your apprentice of sorts." She spoke up, mysterious emerald eyes meeting with golden snake-like ones. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"Apprentice?" He repeated, a small smile indicating his amusement to the suggestion. "What makes you think you're capable of being an apprentice of mine?" The snake sannin challenged the small girl, who refused to break eye contact.

_'Brave, I see...'_

Shiru's lips formed a small, secretive smile. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. The easy solution is to see if I am or not. You don't lose anything if I'm not, but you'll gain something if I am."

Karin remained quiet as she watched the exchange. Her sister was surprisingly cunning. The tall snake-like man seemed to be amused by that as well.

"Well...it's a tempting offer." He purred, deliberately taking his time as if he was deciding.

Taking on an apprentice could have its uses in the long term of things. The girl herself seemed to be a rather interesting creature herself, as well as her little sister. As she had said, he wouldn't lose anything if he didn't deem her worthy; but it was quite gutsy to basically say she's disposable to someone like him. Though how would a child know what he was like?

"Perhaps I will. What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Shiru."

Unsurprising, but definitely a bonus.

* * *

Karin stared at Shiru who sat crossed legged on her bed, eyes shut in concentration. Now that the smaller redhead had gotten new glasses thanks to Orochimaru-sama, she could fully appreciate just how pretty Shiru's face was even if her hair was an unkempt mess.

It was nearly a year since they were taken in by Orochimaru, Karin was assigned to be a jailer for the Southern Hideout, where most of the prisoners were kept. Shiru had successfully been appointed as the snake sannin's apprentice, and often traveled with him; leaving her alone a lot of the time.

Today was one of the rare days both her master and sister had come to rest at the hideout she was located at, but her elder sister seemed to be more preoccupied with some kind of meditative state for her training.

Karin whined, throwing her pillow at the older redhead who unconsciously caught the soft object and flung it back into her small face.

"Umph!" She frowned at the force her sister had thrown it, but knew that it was her fault for trying to throw something at her anyway.

"You're so mean, nee-chan! How could you forget that it's my birthday?!" The smaller redhead yelled in frustration. It had been two months since her birthday, and she got no presents from her big sister.

She was about to rant some more when three bottles were tossed her way. Instinctively, she caught them; examining them in confusion.

When she realised they were three rare perfumes only found in certain places, she squealed in joy.

"I knew you'd nag if I didn't get you anything, and since I'm two months late; I got another two for you." Shiru informed her little sister, still having her eyes shut as she let the modifications Orochimaru made to her body heal whilst she attempted to meditate.

"Don't hug me." She immediately warned the perfume-obsessed girl who was only inches from glomping the still-healing one.

Karin pouted, but backed off nonetheless. "What did Orochimaru-sama do this time?"

Shiru sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to meditate with Karin being nosy and opened her eyes. She still had no idea what she looked like, but cared little about her physical appearance either way; so she hadn't bothered to look for a mirror in the time she'd been here. Her little sister's reactions every time she looked at her gave an indication that she had eyes that the younger girl liked. Perhaps it was the eyelashes.

"Made enhancements to my speed, durability and strength. Within a day or two, I should be fully healed and will be then working on taijutsu training and tracking. Orochimaru wants you to teach me the 'Mind's eye of the Kagura'." A bandaged hand reached up to scratch lightly at her unkempt hair. At the movement, Karin automatically grabbed her sister's brush and ordered the older girl to sit on the floor so she could brush her hair.

"I'm not sure if I can," Karin stated unsurely, grabbing the long red mane of her sister and gently brushing the knots out, "I've always thought it was limited to me, only." She admitted.

Shiru nodded slightly so Karin wouldn't unintentionally pull her hair. "I thought that was the case as well, but he thinks otherwise. If you don't, he'll probably do some kind of experiment so I can do something similar."

The smaller girl frowned in worry. She didn't mind the experiments done on her, but Shiru was being pushed to the edge and she didn't like it. Orochimaru had left the seal on her stomach alone for now, but who knows when he might want to get rid of it. "I guess I can try, but don't expect anything."

"I was skeptical that you could even teach me in the first place, Karin." Shiru sighed, resting her head against the edge of her bed. "I don't mind if you can't. I can take the experiments."

"He's been conducting too many on you," Karin frowned, pushing up her glasses. "and he's been beating you senseless to learn all these jutsus and techniques. You need a break."

"I'm taking a break now." She replied softly, closing her eyes. "I also need to be able to handle all the things he's throwing at me. It was something I was ready to endure from the beginning."

The smaller Uzumaki remained silent after that, knowing that her sister had fallen asleep as she brushed her hair.

_'At least I know she's improving...'_ Karin thought solemnly. She could feel the unnaturally large chakra reserve Shiru possessed. That was partly because of her heritage as a Uzumaki, as well as the rapid growth she experienced when she woke up, but the rest was mostly because of Orochimaru. It was actually unhealthy to have that much in such a small body, and she knew it kept the older Uzumaki up a lot.

The bespectacled girl respected Orochimaru, quite a lot. But she cared more about Shiru than him, if it came down to her choosing.

In less than a year, Shiru is already a capable kunoichi. Of course, that wouldn't have been possible without the sannin. Karin wasn't useless either, she was learning taijutsu so that she could pummel the prisoners she felt were trying to escape. Sometimes Shiru would do that bit for her if she was around.

To be honest, even with the experiments and painful training; she would have to say that this life was a lot better than her previous one. She didn't feel so useless, and was accepted to a certain to degree.

Karin hogged as much time as she could with Shiru within the next few days, but it was inevitable that she and Orochimaru were to leave again.

"I love you, nee-chan!" The small redhead waved as her sister and her master walked away from the hideout.

Shiru gave a half-hearted wave, not bothering to turn around before the two flickered out of her view.

Karin puffed her cheeks. "So mean, nee-chan."

* * *

"Shiru-chan..."

Upon hearing her name, Shiru pulled out the blade embedded in the unknown ninja's torso with ease and looked to her master with a particularly bored look. Her eyes ached because of the chronic insomnia she'd been suffering for the past few years. How long had it been since she slept?

Her master chuckled at her apparent apathy. "Do you know of the Uchiha clan?" He asked in a purr, flicking his inhuman tongue.

Shiru raised a single eyebrow. "Am I going to be spying on one?" She inquired as she cleaned her blade free from the excess blood. Neither of the two seemed to mind the amount of corpses scattered along the forest floor.

Orochimaru was sitting on a branch when he watched his apprentice test the recent subjects' abilities. Unfortunately, none of them were satisfactory and he had given the order for her to kill them; to which she obeyed silently.

Five years of being her master was certainly interesting indeed. She complied with his methods and his modifications on her; was a fast learner and held no sentiment towards the people she murdered. But the forced insomnia dulled her senses. She often got lost in her thoughts when he wasn't looking. He'd made sure that the time she didn't sleep was the time she'd train more.

A smirk threatened to form on his lips as he commended her intelligence. "Well done, Shiru-chan. You will be spying on a certain Uchiha in Konohagakure."

The fourteen-year-old sighed as she did the handsigns to let the earth absorb the corpses she had left along the floor. "What exactly will I be doing?" She questioned the sannin, her mysterious emerald eyes glazed with fatigue.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Kabuto will be able to help you get a spot on the Uchiha's genin team. They graduate in three months, and I want you to be on his team to influence his desire for power."

_'How, I wonder.'_ Shiru drawled in her mind. Orochimaru didn't fail to notice the way she rolled her eyes.

"Do you remember your back story?"

"My name is Uzumaki Shiru, one of the descendents of the Uzumaki clan. I was on a mission for the Kusagakure, but my team members were traitors; effectively beating me and leaving me for dead. You're sure the third Hokage would be sentimental enough to let an unknown kunoichi in just because I'm an Uzumaki?" Shiru asked skeptically, her fingers twirling the hilt of her blade idly.

An uncharacteristic sneer from Orochimaru made her blink in mild surprise. "I'm almost certain the old fool would let you in just because of his sentiments."

"How...blind." She muttered, eyebrows furrowing in thought.

The Sannin smirked at his apprentice, approving of her belief of the old man's stupid sentimentality. It would get him killed one day.

"Indeed...now go prepare. I'll debrief you in the morning."

Shiru clicked her tongue before flickering out of her master's sight and went to the nearest base to prepare.

_'I know that I'm going to get beaten like a rag doll tomorrow...'_

Either way, orders were orders. It wouldn't hurt to see the main characters face to face, but what would happen to Sakura if she was to become the third member of team seven? It didn't bother her much, though.

She would have to use the academic scores Sakura had gotten to get a legitimate chance to placing into their team, even if Kabuto was going to help her somehow.

"Shiru-chan."

Emerald eyes darted to the owner of the familiar voice who called her name. She landed in front of him with silent footing. _'Speak of the devil...'_

"Kabuto." She acknowledged him, not bothering to care about the way his eye twitched at her lack of manners. She hadn't used suffixes since she got here, she wasn't about to start now.

"How are you? Excited for tomorrow?" He asked, replacing his slight annoyance with a rather convincing smile she still knew was fake to a certain degree.

The redhead shrugged, simply wanting to lay down for a few hours instead of talk to the medic nin. Even if she couldn't sleep, that didn't mean she couldn't lay down and just chill.

This was one of the few things she'd been pissed at Orochimaru for. Taking away her ability to sleep was just mean, but she supposed there was logic to it. His modifications to her allowed for her body to do all the repairing whilst she was awake instead of when she'd be asleep; so she could stay awake all she liked without her body deteriorating on her. She wasn't sure about her mind though. At least there weren't any hallucinations.

It messed up her mind sometimes, and the bastard dared to use one of her fears against her when she expressed her dislike of the situation.

"Did you say something?" Shiru asked absentmindedly, breaking out of her train of thought and looking to the white-haired male before her.

Undeterred, he repeated his questions. "How are you and are you excited for tomorrow?"

"Ah. I feel like shit, as per usual, but I must admit that I'm excited for tomorrow." She responded bluntly, as she normally did. The residents of Otogakure got used to it after a while. Not many of them had great social skills in the first place.

Kabuto simply chuckled. "I see, well then. I'll let you continue about your business."

Her ear twitched as she heard the sound of the gravel underneath his foot crunch, walking ahead when he moved out of the way for her.

When Kabuto knew the redhead was out of range, Orochimaru appeared beside him. The medic nin bowed lightly in respect.

"Orochimaru-sama," He greeted the sannin, "how were the subjects?"

"Poor," was his master's dull reply, "I had Shiru-chan kill them all."

Kabuto smiled politely as he pushed up his glasses. "I'm surprised you took her on as an apprentice all those years ago, but she's turned out to be a rather nice asset to our forces."

"Yes, even if she has the utterly ridiculous fear of garlic; she's a worthy kunoichi. I trust that she'll be able to influence little Sasuke to join us." Orochimaru smirked, his tongue habitually flicking out again.

"Well, then. I shall prepare for the mission." And with that, Kabuto was gone.

The snake sannin looked to the sky, thoughts running through his head rapidly. _'It would be interesting to see how my little apprentice handles being in a social situation for an extended amount of time.'_

He knew of her other fears of getting attached, it was blatantly obvious when she would distance herself from her supposed sister; but would still bring the girl rare perfumes for her collection.

It was rather amusing, but he approved of her fear. He didn't need her becoming attached to any of the Konoha people and betraying him. It would be an unfortunate waste.

The girl neither feared him or despised him, making it much easier to work with her during certain modifications and experiments. She hadn't shown any signs of traumatic behaviour, not yet anyways.

He'd have to check on her before she left for Konoha.

But he had other business to attend to first.

* * *

**And that was the first chapter. Hopefully not too bad. I tried to keep everyone in character, but Karin is a bundle of weirdness; so I improvised her childhood self. Feedback would be lovely.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, again guys. I'm really happy to have the support already after the first chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far, so I wanted to update for you all. Do note that I won't be consistent and may make you wait longer than I'd like you to, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm sure you guys understand that all of us have lives and sometimes they mess up the fun stuff.  
**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

Shiru stared at the many forehead protectors displayed neatly on her wooden desk. She had collected many over the years, but grabbed the Kusagakure one and tied it to the strap connected to her sheath.

There was no way she was leaving it behind. The blade was in the form of a tachi, the metal it was made out of was somewhat of a rarity Orochimaru managed to snag. It was made specifically for chakra enhancement, something she was grateful for.

Her room was small, but not uncomfortable. She sat cross-legged on her single bed, closing her eyes to meditate.

Meditation was the closest to her being able to sleep.

The forced insomnia was because of the traumatic events her body went through in the years, causing something in her brain to never allow that moment of rest in fear of the consequences of letting your guard down. Though it was a hindrance, she had learned to live with it; thinking of it as a way of improving despite the effects.

She could still think clearly, but would often get lost in her thoughts if left alone for too long. It was lucky that she had a certain proficiency to sensory, otherwise she would've been taken off guard more times than she'd like.

Her master was ruthless, drilling many techniques and information into her head. For an instant, she wondered how a normal person would've handled the situation.

_'Probably go mad,'_ She thought sardonically. Perhaps she was insane herself, but she wouldn't know. How does someone even know they're insane in the first place?

In her state of meditation, she decided to unlock her mind's eye as Karin had taught her.

Though she didn't have the range her little sister had, she was at least able to have a good view of the base she was at now.

She could see the chakra from the residents within, making the shape of the person themselves within her mind. In her mind, the people she was more familiar with had a greenish-tinge to their chakra; rather than the particular blue of strangers. It gave question as to whether or not that was normal.

Kabuto seemed to be nowhere near, making Shiru cringe at the fact that the one she was talking to may have actually been a clone.

The redhead chided herself for that fuck up. Failure easily frustrated her if it happened too many times.

There was the thought that he was just fast, but he was stationed in Konoha as far as she knew. _'Not one of my sharpest moments...'_

When she felt her master's foul and powerful chakra, she closed her mind's eye and opened her actual one's; staring at the door.

"Good evening, Shiru-chan." The sannin hissed softly with a hint of fondness. Shiru clicked her tongue at that, but dipped her head slightly in respect and acknowledgement.

"Orochimaru. I'm guessing that you'll need to conduct a check up before I leave?" She questioned him with a tilt of her head.

The sannin's lips widened into a predatory smile. "Indeed, but first I wanted to inform of the change of plans."

Her ear twitched at the way he elongated the 's', but sat up straighter at the change of plans. "Is that so?"

"Because it's much faster and more convenient, I'll have a team chasing you."

The redhead stretched. "So, correct me if I'm wrong. You'll want me running from your team into the direction of Konoha, so they'd be more obliged to help me. Will they have the Otogakure forehead protector to make it seem as if you wanted me because of my heritage?"

"It gives evidence that you're not actually loyal to me if we stage it." He replied.

"They'll die; the team you'll be using." She stated nonchalantly. "They'll be sufficient for the task?"

"They're willing to die for me, Shiru-chan." Orochimaru hissed softly with amusement. He noticed how she clicks her tongue at something she finds worth rolling her eyes about, and chuckled softly. "They'll make sure to put on a good performance. You'll still be from Kusagakure, but remember to limit your abilities. We don't want them knowing that you're capable of killing them instead of running away."

Shiru listened in on the plan and memorised it, thinking through it when Orochimaru was conducting one of his many modifications on her an hour later.

Her eyes darted to his hand when it touched the lobe of her ear.

"Calm down, Shiru-chan. I'm merely placing on some accessories to help you with your mission." He assured her, mercilessly stabbing her ear a few times before placing some kind of piercings on the lobe and helix of her ear; doing the same to the other one.

She cringed at the small pain, but endured it.

"They're to help mask the scars you've obtained through my experimentation. We wouldn't want them knowing that, now would we?" The snake explained as she cracked her back. "Do you know why I'd rather not put a genjutsu on you?"

"There are people capable of seeing through it, like the Hyuuga." She responded with a sigh. It made sense, she supposed.

"Excellent. Be sure you're ready tomorrow. We cannot afford mistakes."

* * *

A blur of red moved swiftly from tree to tree within the forest, three blurs of grey and black followed closely behind.

Shiru dodged the wave of kunai, though hindered her movements so she'd at least be hit in the arm. A cringed formed on her face, but continued to move through the forest and closer to Konohagakure.

She honed in on her senses and searched for any chakra signatures nearby other than the three behind her. They were fast, but she had to be mindful as to make sure she didn't look like she was that much faster.

In order for her to actually begin breathing harshly, they sparred the first thing in the morning before leaving so that she wasn't in perfect condition; injuring her even so it was easier to do so.

The three sound nin behind her had made sure to continue with the barrage of attacks; she'd collapse soon near the village, where the Konoha nin would find them and help the apparently helpless girl.

Once she felt the chakra signatures not too far off, she made a hand sign to the three; signalling them it was time.

They nodded, splitting up to surround her. The leader of the three quickened his pace and used a kunai to cut at her upper arm; causing her to fall off balance and onto the forest floor.

The redhead bared her teeth in annoyance as she felt the branches scratch at her as she fell. She braced herself for the impact and coughed out blood at the pain.

_'Fuck sake! Ow!'_ The teen groaned in pain as the three appeared to surround her in the loose formation of a circle.

Her eyes met with the leader, and they both nodded slightly.

"Ha! Why the hell would Orochimaru-sama want a weakling like her?" He taunted, getting his act on. The other two complied. The leader placed his hands on his hips in faux-superiority.

"He said that she was of a powerful clan that was destroyed ages ago." A female voice responded with a mocking tone.

Shiru twitched at the pain of a rocking jabbing into her side. _'Ow. Oow.'_

"Whatever, she doesn't look like much." The third of the team scoffed, moving to pick the redhead up.

The girl in pain on the floor sensed the foreign chakra signatures and waited to hear the pained yell of the team. Soon enough, she heard the three yell incoherently as the Konoha kin cut them down with ease.

When all was quiet again, she jumped at the fingers gently grabbing her shoulders and moving her body so they could see her disheveled form.

Her fatigued emerald eyes looked up to see the blurred vision of an ANBU mask. She blinked slowly to try and decipher what animal it represented.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?" A deep, obviously male voice asked her. Her senses told her there were two others she couldn't see with her eyes.

"...Fine. Just felt like bleeding all over the ground, is all." She replied sarcastically, her voice hoarse.

The ANBU chuckled, before picking her up delicately bridal style and standing up. She struggled to hear their conversation.

"She's...Kusa..."

"Bring...to...hospital..."

A hand hovered over her forehead, soon glowing green to knock the girl out. It wouldn't have worked if she was in a better condition, but because she wasn't; it knocked her out like a light no matter how much she mentally struggled against it.

When Shiru woke up, her eyes slowly pried themselves open as if it hurt to do so. The first thing she noticed what the white ceiling, even if it was blurred.

After a few experimental blinks, her vision focused. Her senses quickly came back to her as wind lightly brushed against her cheek and the strong smell of flowers hit her nose. Her head ached at all the invading sensations that hit her like a tonne of bricks.

When she had calmed down, she noticed that she was resting in what seemed to be a hospital bed, her bandaged body covered by a bland-looking gown. As she attempted to sit up, her mind snapped to attention.

Immediately, her eyes darted to the third Hokage standing at the doorway of her apparent room. He gave her a strangely peaceful smile, raising his hands up in surrender at her wary look.

"I apologise, dear. I did not mean to startle you." He spoke softly, not moving from his position until she seemed to relax a little.

She allowed her heart rate to steady itself, controlling her breathing as the Hokage stepped forward in an nonthreatening manner.

Shiru kept a suspicious glance on him, though; and not just because of the act she was meant to be pulling off. People with kind hearts unnerved her. They possessed kindness that even extended to their enemies, and that confused her to no end.

"Who are you?" She asked him warily, consciously gripping the white sheets to keep her from fiddling too much.

Hiruzen smiled at her. "My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. The third Hokage of Konohagakure." He introduced, watching the teen's eyes widen in surprise.

"You're currently in our hospital. You were brought here by some of our ANBU after they killed off a team of sound nin." The old man explained, noticing her tense at the mention of sound nin.

"Where..." She paused for dramatics. "Where are they now...?"

"Gone. You're safe here."

After staring at the man skeptically, she let out a breath of relief and let her shoulders slump slightly so she still looked tense, but not as much.

"If I may ask, what is your name?" Hiruzen asked.

She looked up, a light frown forming. "...Uzumaki Shiru."

The old man's eyes widened, but soon recomposed himself.

_'I knew that shade of hair was familiar.'_ He noted mentally.

He had noticed that whilst the girl slept, her body recovered at a faster rate than normal; which increased his suspicions of her heritage before he told her of her last name.

"Shiru-chan, is it? Why were those people after you?"

The girl frowned, looking at her hands. "They said it was because I was an Uzumaki. That their boss wanted me for something."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. _'Of course he'd want her.'_

The Uzumaki were a powerful clan, and his former student would just have loved to obtain a member of it.

_'If I let her go back to Kusagakure, she might not be able to protect herself a second time from them.'_

"I have a proposition to make, Shiru-chan." He spoke up, earning her attention.

"Hm?" The girl tilted her head as she looked up at him.

"Would you like to stay here, in Konoha?" At her widened eyes, he continued. "You'd be safe from those ninja who want to harm you, and you'd be welcomed here." Emphasizing his point, he smiled kindly at her.

"Are...are you sure?" She questioned him, disbelieving. "I could stay here?" She soon hardened her expression so that it looked like she was putting up a tough front.

His smile brightened at the hope in her voice.

"Of course. We also have another Uzumaki in the village. He'd be somewhat of your cousin." The Hokage revealed, mildly amused of her badly hidden, hopeful look. "You could live with him to settle in."

"I..." Shiru looked down, frowning and attempting to not become anymore fake than she felt at the moment. "I would love to stay here...if you'd accept me, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage didn't notice the way she clicked her tongue in disgust for the respectful suffix, and instead chuckled.

"Of course, dear. I shall arrange you to meet him soon." Something then occurred in his head. "By the way, Shiru-chan. What is your rank?" He had noticed the Kusagakure forehead protector, so that meant she had to at least graduated.

"I'm a genin, sir. Though I was one for only a few days before those ninja found me." She explained, internally wondering how the hell Kabuto is going to get her on Uchiha Sasuke's genin team. What the hell could he do about it again?

"Ah, I see." Hiruzen frowned in thought._ 'Perhaps she could attend the academy for the remaining months since there's only a few until they graduate. It would also let her mingle with those of her age and Naruto of all people.'_

"Would you mind if you were to attend the academy for a few months so that you could graduate to become an official leaf nin?" He suggested after thinking.

Shiru didn't let the smirk threatening to form show on her features, instead shaking her head once. "I wouldn't mind at all. I'd like to get used to this place before doing any missions as I would if I were a genin right now."

The old man clapped his hands once. "Then it's settled. Welcome to Konohagakure, Uzumaki Shiru!"

"Also, how long have I been out?"

"Ah, about a week. I was told you lacked sleep." He replied.

_'No wonder I feel so on edge.'_ She frowned._ 'Being unconscious for a week has caused my body to bombard me with senses.'_

_'Besides that, I'm surprised to have just gotten in like that. How...strange. Could it really be that Hiruzen is just full of sentimentality, and it's blinding him like Orochimaru thinks?'_

* * *

Shiru blinked at the excuse of an apartment that Uzumaki Naruto seemed to be living in. She held her bag that was filled with the equipment she had when the ANBU found her, and was wearing a casual turtleneck sweater and form-fitting pants with ankle-length black ninja sandals. Her usual knee-high ones were in the bag.

Hiruzen smiled apologetically at the mess. Empty ramen cups littered the place, trash was everywhere and it smelled. Actually, now that he looked at it again; the apartment seemed too small for two people.

_'Perhaps I'll move them into a bigger one for both their sakes.'_ The Hokage thought tiredly.

Unable to hide her thoughts any longer, Shiru spoke. "It's a shit stye."

The blunt sentence caused the old man to give her a surprised look, but her completely impassive expression showed that she did intend to say that.

_'Maybe now that she's comfortable, she more open to speaking her mind.'_ He theorized.

Shiru, on the other hand frankly only acted that way at the hospital because she wanted to seem like a somewhat helpless girl. But to hell with that if she had to act that way all the time.

"Uh, well. Yes, frankly." Hiruzen coughed into his hand awkwardly. "I hadn't realised that it was also too small for two people."

The redhead narrowed her eyes at the milk that flared up her nostrils. It was a horrible smell. The entire apartment gave off a horrible smell.

"Will I be relocating, then?" She asked, looking up at the old man.

The Hokage smiled down at her. "Well, I believe it'd be best if you two could relocate to a bigger apartment. We'd have to talk about Naruto-kun first though."

"Understandable. Is he at the academy?"

"Currently, yes. He should be home soon, though. If he doesn't have detention for some prank he's pulled." He replied, sighing at the memory of Naruto's antics.

"We'll wait, then?" She blinked.

"Yes."

"Don't you have important business to do, though?" The redhead tilted her head innocently.

Hiruzen chuckled. "It's alright, Shiru-chan. I want to be one personally to inform Naruto-kun of a new family member."

"I see." She contemplated sitting down, but the couch had some kind of stain on it; causing her to bare her teeth in disgust.

It had been a rather awkward half-an-hour waiting for Naruto to come home, but when he did; he came bursting through the door in a bundle of energy.

"Ah, home!" He cheered, before freezing dramatically once he realised he wasn't alone.

Shiru stared at the small blonde with an analytical gaze. "Whoa! Old man, what are you doing here?!" The said blonde demanded, pointing at the old man who sighed.

"I apologise for the intrusion, Naruto-kun. But I have come to tell you some important news."

Naruto stared skeptically at Hiruzen, not even noticing the redhead in the corner of the room.

"This is Uzumaki Shiru." Shiru blinked impassively as a hand was gestured in her direction, and Naruto glared at her as if she were untrustworthy.

She was untrustworthy, but they didn't need to know that. Yet.

"She'll be living with you from now on."

"What?!"

_'If I didn't have a mission to do...'_ The redhead breathed in as the blonde ranted on about his freedom of space and yadda, yadda. She lightly glared at the blonde through her unkempt bangs, but remained silent as the two sorted it out.

"You're her only family, Naruto-kun."

Shiru couldn't hide the smirk that formed on her lips. _'The guilt tip, huh?'_

Naruto faltered, guiltily looking at the redhead who assumed the expression of slight sorrow. "You...don't have anyone else either?" He asked sadly, his shoulders slumping out of their tense posture.

_'There's the idiot, Karin, but...'_

She nodded slowly. "I've been alone ever since I could remember." She responded with a monotone, attempting to use the tough demeanour to hide her 'sorrow'. It would help her feel more comfortable with being herself, otherwise looking like a fragile thing and then suddenly being closed off would certainly raise suspicions.

Naruto gave her a pitiful look, but she ignored it. "Okay, old man. I can live with her. Even if she looks weird."

Hiruzen sighed in relief, finally able to get through the rowdy blonde. "Good, good. You'll be moving to a bigger apartment though, and she'll be attending the academy with you starting tomorrow."

The small blonde's eyes widened at the new information. "We're getting a bigger apartment!?"

Shiru allowed herself to smile a little. The thought of being cramped up with this kid in a small, horrid-smelling apartment was definitely displeasing.

"Let's get along, Naruto." She stepped forward, then had to fight the urge to grin at his small stature. She was a good few inches taller.

"Yeah, I guess so." He replied, somewhat defensively.

_'I suppose I shouldn't expect him to open up to me just like that.'_

* * *

_'Oh, dear god.'_ Shiru fought the urge to sneer at the amount of children in front of her, staring at her curiously. It wasn't so much the staring, it was just the fact that she was surrounded by incompetent academy kids was just irritating.

She stood beside Iruka's desk, waiting for the damn chuunin to introduce her to the class so she could sit the hell down. The whispered conversations made her ear twitch.

"Alright, settle down!" Iruka spoke up, causing the children to immediately shut up and be alert. "As you can tell, we have a new student."

Shiru sighed as Iruka looked to her. "Introduce yourself." He smiled politely.

A certain raven-haired boy stared analytically at the girl standing at the front of the class. Her fiery red hair was waist length, but it was put in a loose plait that hung behind her. The top of her hair was spiky and unkempt, as were her bangs. He wondered how the hell she could see properly. The redhead's skin was slightly on the pale side, but it looked clear of any marks.

Although he wouldn't know since she wore a black turtleneck sweater with the sleeves all the way to her palms, black pants and black ninja sandals. She didn't show much skin, which he decidedly approved of.

The other girls of his class were more interested in showing off their looks than learning how to be a ninja. The boy noticed the girl's eyes were decorated with some kind of makeup, and her lashes were ridiculously long and black, mismatching to her hair colour.

He would've looked away after seeing the hint of feminism, but the look in those emerald eyes made him tense.

She was looking at him, and he unintentionally kept eye contact; even if it was for only a second or two. There was something decidedly dangerous about her, he realised. When she looked away, he forced himself to relax. If she was like the other girls, he could just ignore her as he had always done.

He didn't need to worry about girls.

"My name is Uzumaki Shiru." She introduced with a tone that obviously implicated she was bored.

His eyes widened in surprise, as the others of the class did; though some gasped over dramatically.

"She's related to the freak, Naruto?" A girl sitting behind him whispered to her friend.

"But like, they don't look related at all." Her friend replied.

"I'd like to say this; I would appreciate greatly if you wouldn't ostracize my cousin." She stated, and everyone in the room looked to the blonde. Naruto fidgeted under the attention.

"If you do, I will probably hurt you. That's all. Take care of me, or something." The redhead's smile was small, but there was something threatening in it. Her words made a few of the kids' blood run cold. She seemed oblivious to the touched gaze her cousin looked at her with.

_'Best to get on his good side by defending him.'_ Shiru thought strategically. It didn't matter to her if the rest of the class hated her.

_'This girl is definitely dangerous.'_ Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the girl who shoved Naruto to the next seat, and narrowed his eyes even more at the blonde who was forcibly moved next to him.

The two gave each other looks of disgust. "Shiru-chan! I don't want to sit next to this bastard! Switch!"

Shiru sighed, standing up from the spot she recently stole from the blonde and letting Naruto out so she could sit between the Uchiha and the blonde.

Naruto immediately became happier after knowing that someone didn't hate him, even if Shiru was kind of weird. She didn't treat him any differently, even when she saw the way the villagers looked at him. When he stole a glance at her, he grinned proudly when she seemed to ignore the bastard on the other side of her.

_'I'm so glad she's got good taste.'_

Shiru stared blankly at the blackboard Iruka was writing on, the lesson was something she found incredibly boring. How long had it been?

_'I have to endure this for two months.'_ She internally cringed at the thought.

_'I have to find a place to train. Preferably a place where people can't watch me.'_

Mentioning watching, Shiru felt like people were glaring daggers at her. Her eyes shifted to the side, seeing the girls on the other side of the room seethe at her.

She then looked to the Uchiha beside her. He pointedly ignored her gaze, but she didn't look for longer than a few seconds before shrugging and looking blankly at the board again.

_'Idiots.'_

* * *

After school, Naruto and Shiru followed the route made on the map for them.

The Hokage had already relocated them when they were in class, apparently.

When they reached their destination, they were in one of the less populated areas; but the apartment building was in good shape. Their apartment was on the third floor, the first door on the left.

The building was only three stories high, and each floor only had four rooms because of the increased size.

After Naruto fumbled with the keys, Shiru was half-tempted to kick the door down; but refrained from doing so and unlocked the door herself with her own key.

"Whoa." Naruto muttered in awe.

The apartment was spacious. The kitchen was in the left side of the place, with the bathroom next to it. On the other side were two rooms for the both of them, and they were currently in the lounge.

It seemed like there was already some furniture for them, like couches and desks and all that. It was rather impersonal.

There was a bag of money on the kitchen counter with a note beside it. Naruto picked it up and read it.

"To Naruto and Shiru, please use this money to buy any necessary inventories and food. You will receive a normal income for orphans on Friday every week. This is my treat, the third Hokage." He read with a little trouble.

Shiru grabbed the bag of coins, noting its considerable weight.

_'This must've come from his own pocket.'_ She thought, finding it to be unlikely that he'd use Konoha's income on them. _'I'm on edge about the fact that he's so welcoming. I feel like it may be a trap.' _

"We should buy ramen!" Naruto suggested. Her eyes immediately darted dangerously to him, making him pause.

"Not until you learn how to clean." She frowned. "I have a sensitive nose and your old apartment was horrid."

The blonde looked offended. "It wasn't that bad!" He defended.

The redhead clicked her tongue and walked to the door opposite of the kitchen. "This is my room." She declared, opening the door and shutting it.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the door she just entered. _'My apartment wasn't that bad.'_ He huffed mentally, crossing his arms.

He then frowned._ 'Or maybe it was...'_

The two Uzumaki both knew that their lives would change for the better or worse now that they were together.

Shiru sighed as she grabbed the bag she had yesterday from the desk in the room and put it on the queen-sized bed. _'Someone must've put it here. Glad I chose the right room.'_

She reached into the bag and pulled out a scroll.

"Might as well unpack."

* * *

**Would love the reviews, guys.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I decided to update a bit faster. After posting the previous chapter, my mind was still running with ideas, so I decided to work on it; instead of my art that's due in a few hours.  
**

**Thank you for the support, I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

The girl with the fiery red hair sighed as she placed her forehead on the desk in exasperation.

Her cousin was tied up at the front of the classroom for painting on the faces of the Hokage, and was currently getting a lecture about it.

_'It's finally here.'_ She cheered internally, too mentally exhausted to move.

For two-and-a-half months, she had to endure the life of an academy student.

The idiots had nicknamed her 'Akaoni' which translated into 'Red Demon'. Shows how creative they were.

She didn't bother to bond with her peers, even her cousin whom she lived with wasn't all that close to her. The girl had kept them all at a distance, and with her brutally honest mindset; the others were obviously miffed by her presence.

Everything about academy life was boring; she knew everything they taught, and she had to make sure that she was only just beating Sakura in the written tests.

She was partnered with some random girl whose name she hadn't bothered to remember for taijutsu lessons. Her immediate approach to that situation was to knock the girl out the moment the match started.

It didn't show any of her skill for taijutsu except that she was quick enough to hit the back of a twelve-year-old's neck.

She neglected the kunoichi classes, they were unimportant.

Her life with Naruto was almost chaotic, their personalities clashed on more than one occasion.

He was messy, idiotic, impulsive. The damned blonde had compared her to Sasuke, saying that she acted just like him.

_'I'm not some brat who is consumed by hatred.' _She thought with a light frown.

Though that hadn't nearly affected her as much as one day finding that Naruto had decided have a ramen feast and left the mess in the kitchen for her to clean.

The boy gave her one too many headaches, but she had a mission to do, and living with Naruto seemed to make things a little easier for her in the long run.

At least they got along to the point that they didn't try to kill each other, with her also giving off a weak killing intent to those who regarded him with that same look he had grown up with. That; the blonde was grateful for.

Aside from Naruto, keeping an eye on Sasuke wasn't that bad. He distanced himself from everyone and was always brooding. His cold attitude didn't seem endearing to her in the least, but perhaps that was because he was basically a kid compared to her mindset.

She had assumed the seat between him and Naruto, and the other girls of the class didn't seem to mind as much anymore. Probably because they knew that she was obviously not interested in their beloved 'Sasuke-kun'. It amused her how if some girl attempted to sit next to the raven-haired boy, they'd use the excuse that it was Shiru-san's seat and it'd be rude to take it from her.

In a roundabout way, she was a shield for both the Uchiha and the girls who didn't like anyone interested sitting next to him.

Most of the time, the redhead would observe her peers. She didn't have the tell tale seat at the back of the classroom to people watch all of them, but there were only a select few that she cared about.

Particularly the canon characters.

Sakura and Ino continued to butt heads, and they irritated her to no end; but they were ignorant and she couldn't blame them for that. Kiba and Naruto often bickered loudly; which nearly always earned them a detention and some chalk to the head. Chouji and Shikamaru sat at the back together, always remaining quiet. Shino was just as talkative as she was during class, and Hinata would sit on the other seat at the back of the class and sneak glances at the blonde usually seated beside her. At other times, she'd just read.

_'I bet Orochimaru and Kabuto are laughing at my expense, the bastards.'_ She frowned, knowing that Kabuto had been keeping an eye on her during her stay.

The white-haired medic nin sent her a note from Orochimaru that he'd be seeing her soon enough, and that she's being watched by the ANBU still. Though they seemed to leave her alone after two months, no longer finding her much of a threat; not that they thought so in the first place. It was the usual paranoia of ninja to just keep an eye on ninjas from other villages.

_'I'm not a complete idiot,'_ The Uzumaki girl retorted in her head,_ '...he probably just wanted to make sure that I was still loyal to him and didn't gain any attachments.'_

She snorted unceremoniously, earning herself a glance from the Uchiha beside her. _'As if I could get attached to any of these fools.'_ There was hardly any attachment to her own cousin, let alone to some academy kids. She was also not as loyal as Orochimaru thought she was.

Shiru was in lost in her wistful thoughts of being out of this godforsaken village by the time Naruto had provoked Iruka to make everyone line up and do a transformation.

Sasuke frowned in irritation, the dobe was always causing trouble for everyone. His onyx eyes glanced over to the girl next to him who still had her head on the desk.

_'Even she seems to be annoyed by him.'_ He smirked, somehow feeling superior to the loser by that fact.

When he had stood up reluctantly to line up as the rest, Shiru lifted her head from the desk and followed suit silently.

After a few minutes of various transformations into Iruka, the redhead had yet to show the teacher her transformation when Naruto had shown off his 'sexy no jutsu'.

The girl couldn't help but smile a little at the dramatic reaction of the teacher.

When school finished, Shiru wandered the streets; intent on buying some groceries for herself. She could see Naruto's small form cleaning off his mess on the Hokage mountain, and knew that he would be eating ramen with Iruka.

People passed her without a second glance, too intent on their own affairs to care about the people they passed by. She did the same, walking into the grocery store after some mental preparation.

The redhead began to fidget as she entered, a certain smell standing out amongst the rest. Her fingers twitched erratically as a response to her nervousness. She did well to hide most of her obvious discomfort, but the moment a person had walked near her with garlic in their basket; she hightailed to the other side of the store like a jack rabbit, her back pressing up against the freezers as she attempted to calm her nerves.

_'Fucking garlic.'_ She growled mentally, letting out a shaky breath and running a hand through her unkempt hair. Her fingers were entangled in the strands, further indicating how little she did to look after her hair. _'Perhaps I'll cut my hair when I get home.'_

The clerk who worked at the grocery store was familiar with Shiru's irrational fear of garlic, and simply smiled at her when she came to pay for her things.

"Still afraid of garlic, hm?" He teased, chuckling when she glared lightly at him with her emerald eyes. "You lose your cool every time."

Shiru curled her teeth in disgust, lightly shuddering at the simply thought of the horrid thing. "It's a curse." She muttered darkly.

The clerk was a young teen, appearing to be only a few years older than her. He was polite and charismatic, and she had to respect the fact that he didn't further traumatise her by purposely placing garlic near the counter or near her in general as her bastard of a master had done multiple times in the past.

_'Tch. 'Face your fears', he says. He should do the same and face death like a man, then.'_ She mocked with a frown.

"That's four thousand, five hundred and thirty-eight ryo." He stated, keeping that smile of his on his youthful face.

After paying for her groceries and saying goodbye to the unnamed clerk, she made her way home.

Shiru shut the door with her foot and dumped her stuff on the kitchen counter. As she put the food away, something clicked in her mind.

_'Perhaps I should learn how to cook.'_

Neither Naruto or Shiru had any knowledge of cooking, and most of the time bought take-away. She didn't mind his obsession with ramen, it was merely the fact of throwing the fucking rubbish away when he was done.

A lot of their food stock was fruit, which both had a liking to.

Shiru ate a strawberry as she went to the bathroom, walking in and to the sink with the mirror above it. Once she realised she forgot the scissors and brush, she went back out to get them.

When she had, and finally took a look of herself in the mirror; she froze.

The entire time she had been in this place, not once had she properly looked at her face.

Now that she had, she had to admit that she was surprised. Mostly because of the fact that her eyes were bloody ridiculous.

_'Since when the hell did I have winged eyeliner?'_ She wondered, leaning close and rubbing her eye to see if it would come off. It didn't.

The permanent eyeliner and her thick lashes made her deep emerald eyes stand out.

The red-haired Uzumaki stared blankly at her reflection, currently ignoring the bangs that reached her mouth.

_'Karin.'_ The reflection of Shiru narrowed their eyes in a mimic to the real one.

_'The bitch put permanent eyeliner on me and I didn't know for six years? Motherfucker.'_

Sighing in exasperation, she picked up the brush and worked to untangle her red mane.

_'Should probably brush my hair more often.'_ She cringed, pulling the brush roughly out of the last bit of her hair. It had taken her half an hour to finally rid herself of tangles. _'No wonder girls are always late to occasions.'_

By the time Naruto got home, Shiru was currently reading on the couch; her bangs only a bit shorter. Side bangs that were just past her chin framed her face, but some of her hair had nearly concealed her entire right eye.

She got lazy and only trimmed, basically. At least she didn't have a bunch of hair getting in her mouth.

"You ready for tomorrow, Shiru-chan?" Naruto inquired with excitement, pumped up for graduation tomorrow.

"Yes." She replied blandly, turning the page of her book. "Make sure you go to sleep tonight, it won't do you any good to miss out on rest."

The blonde gave her a look. "But you never sleep."

The redhead looked up from her book. "That's because I can't. You can, so hurry up and go to bed."

Naruto poked her tongue childishly at her, but reluctantly obliged and got himself ready for bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Shiru-chan."

Shiru returned to reading. "Goodnight, Naruto."

* * *

Shiru stood in front of Iruka and Mizuki with an impassive expression, and did the necessary handsigns for the clone jutsu; Ram, snake, tiger.

Without declaring the technique, two clones of her appeared in a puff of smoke.

Iruka and Mizuki both smiled in approval.

"Congratulations, Shiru-san. You passed." Iruka congratulated her with a genuine tone.

The Uzumaki girl did a small smile and dipped her head slightly as she picked up one of the forehead protectors, her clones disappearing since they were no longer of use.

A little while later, Shiru leant against a tree with her arms folded; Naruto sitting on the swing with a pitiful look on his face.

The redhead ignored the large commotion of the parents and their kids, whilst the blonde did the exact opposite.

She only snapped to attention the moment the two females began to talk about her cousin.

"Hey, that kid..." The one with the headband began.

"Yeah, that's _'the'_ kid. He's the only one who failed." Her friend responded. "The girl next to him is his cousin, and even she passed."

Headband's eyes widened. "He had a cousin?!"

"Mm. She came here a few months ago, but even she seems to dislike the boy."

"I don't blame her. Imagine having him as a relative."

Shiru shifted her gaze to the two gossiping women, her eyes glinting with something threatening. The two seemed to notice, hurriedly and awkwardly leaving so they no longer had to be within the two Uzumaki children's range.

When she returned her eyes to her blonde cousin, he noticed how much more depressed he looked.

"Do you hate me, Shiru-chan...?" He suddenly asked with a defeated voice.

The girl clicked her tongue, causing him to look up at her. "Hate is an irrelevant thing to be feeling. Hating isn't worth my time, and I have nothing to hate you for." She explained with the same detached tone she always had. "You're unbelievably messy and quite the idiot," Naruto shrunk at her criticism, "...but you're a good kid. Don't let their ignorance and blind hatred deter you from your goals."

The small pep talk brought Naruto out of his depressing stupor, and he attempted to hug his cousin.

Shiru pushed against his forehead with her palm, not allowing him to hug her no matter how much he struggled. "I don't do hugs, brat."

"Pah!" He scoffed, finally giving up and folding his arms. "You're such a killjoy. I only wanted to thank you."

"Thank me by graduating, then." She merely replied, body flickering away before he could reply. He looked around frantically in confusion.

"Shiru-chan?! Where'd you go?!"

"Naruto..."

At his name, the blonde turned around to find Mizuki.

"Mizuki-sensei!"

* * *

The redhead slapped the blonde upside the head, causing the latter to yell in pain and grab his sore head.

"Ow, Shiru-chan! What the hell was that for?" He demanded, tears threatening to escape his eyes.

His cousin gave him the look that indicated she thought he was a fucking idiot. "Get that shit off your face, you dweeb."

Naruto pouted. He thought the makeup was awesome for his profile photo.

"But..." He started, but immediately stopped at her pointed stare. "Okay, fine..."

Shiru let the man take the identification photo after he had taken Naruto's, then left off in a whirl of smoke. The blonde pouted at being left behind again.

The following morning, the two Uzumaki kids got ready for the day they'd be put in teams.

Shiru changed her clothes to the similar style she had before coming to Konoha.

She wore a dark purple sweater with sleeves that ended just past her elbows, a tailless black scarf, black baggy pants and her black knee-high ninja sandals that had the lower parts of her pant legs tucked in. Underneath her clothing was the garments specially made for weight training.

Orochimaru was a man with many resources, and he happened to find a certain material that could made into wearable clothing. The unique thing about it was that it was incredibly heavy, something that baffled the redhead.

Either way, she wore them as a constant way to train even if she was just walking.

The girl wore a pair of fingerless black gloves that elongated to her elbows, short shorts, thigh-high and open-toed socks and a sleeveless turtleneck. All were made of the unique material, and she was forced to wear them all.

_'They're a bitch to wear.'_ She internally growled, feeling the weighted clothing do their job in being a burden. The redhead then tied the forehead protector around her left bicep. She had replaced its blue cloth with black last night.

Sighing, she picked up her tachi from the side of her bed and put the grey strap attached to the sheath over her head so that it was now on her back.

When she left her room, she wasn't surprised to see Naruto already in the kitchen and having cereal.

"Morning." He yawned.

Shiru gave a half-hearted wave as she opened the fridge door to browse its contents.

"That milk hasn't expired yet, has it?" She questioned, looking at the new milk in the fridge door.

From behind her, Naruto paled upon seeing that the milk he used; had indeed expired.

"Oh, shit."

The redhead smirked in amusement as she made her own breakfast.

"Let's hope nothing bad happens when it's important."

* * *

Naruto giggled to himself as he sat at his usual seat. Shiru had told him that she'd be there later and to go without her.

"Huh?" The blonde looked up to see a fellow graduate look at him in shock. "Naruto? What the hell are you doing here? Only those who pass are supposed to be here."

Naruto waved his hand smugly. "Hey, hey. Can't you see this forehead protector?"

They were both interrupted by the feminine voice of Sakura.

"Hey, will you let me through?"

_'Sakura-chan!'_ Naruto perked up, the blood rushing to his cheeks at the sight of her. _'Could it be...she wants to...sit next to me?'_

His hopes were crushed when she made a feral expression and pointed at the empty spot beside him. "Naruto! Move your ass! I want to sit on the other side of you!" She demanded roughly.

Naruto turned to see Sasuke on the other end of the desk. His face scrunched up in disgust when the Uchiha glanced at him.

"What?"

Before the blonde could reply, Sakura jumped on Naruto's back with a strangely too-sweet smile. "Ugh!"

"Sasuke-kun!" She cooed. "Can I sit next to you?"

Onyx eyes shifted to the empty sit beside him, then back to the pinkette. Not really wanting to have the girl sit next to her, he thought up of an excuse.

"Uzumaki Shiru sits there." He informed her stoically, looking back to the front of the classroom.

Sakura looked visibly disheartened, but tried to push further. "But she's not here."

"I am very much here." Shiru's impassive voice spoke up, startling her cousin and Sakura. "Now get off my cousin."

Sasuke's eyes shifted to look at the female Uzumaki, who managed to get rid of the damned pink-haired girl. He sighed in relief when the redhead sat in her seat and stared blankly at the board.

He would never admit it, but she was glad she was the one who sat there. The girl showed no signs of interest in him, and was feared by her classmates enough to leave her alone.

Sakura glared at the girl who sat between her crush and the idiot Naruto from across the room. _'Why does she always get to sit there?'_ The pinkette wondered in spite.

The other girls glared at her. "You can't just try to sit next to Sasuke-kun, Sakura." One of her female peers spoke up.

The Haruno girl turned around to look at the group of girls. "Why not? It's not like it has her name on it."

One of the girls; the one with bluish spiky hair looked at her disbelievingly. "You should know that the reason the other girls allow her to sit there is because she's obviously not interested in Sasuke-kun." She explained in a tone that made it sound as if it was obvious.

Her friend spoke up. "Yeah, it's like; Shiru-san is allowed to sit there so that none of the other girls who are interested can. She's there so no one can hog him."

Sakura blinked multiple times, attempting to get that in her head. "I...I guess it makes sense, but it's still not fair." She looked back over to the Uzumakis and the Uchiha.

The redhead did look thoroughly uninterested in him, but that didn't mean she wasn't jealous. In her mind, someone who would appreciate Sasuke-kun deserved to sit next to him more.

_'I'm being stared at.'_ Shiru noted, her head turning in the direction of Sakura. The pinkette tensed before quickly looking away.

Shrugging, her attention shifted to Iruka; who had just entered the room with a roster, but then got lost into her thoughts when he explained how they were still genin.

Only when he had begun calling out teams, she began to listen.

"Team seven..."

_'If I don't get a spot, Orochimaru's going to be annoyed.'_

"Uzumaki Naruto..."

Naruto listened intently, hoping to be put with Sakura or Shiru.

"Uchiha Sasuke..."

"Dammit!" The blonde groaned, banging his head on the desk whilst the Uchiha remained impassive outwardly. Inside, he was annoyed.

_'That idiot?'_ He scoffed mentally. _'He's going to drag me down.'_

"And Uzumaki Shiru."

Naruto cheered.

Shiru sighed.

Sasuke once again remained impassive.

Sakura slumped in her seat, as did most of the other girls.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto stood up, pointing over Shiru and to Sasuke. "Why do I have be put on the same team as that bum?!" He demanded, oblivious to the death glares he was receiving.

Iruka leaned forward with his hands on his hips. "Sasuke's grades were first among all twenty-seven graduates, whilst you were dead last." He explained briefly. "We have to do this to balance out the teams, understand?"

"Bah..." Sasuke scoffed. "Just don't get in my way...dead last."

Shiru noticed the way Naruto shook with anger.

"What did you call me?!"

"Naruto."

The blonde tensed at the sound of Shiru's monotone voice, and slowly looked to her and noticing that her eyes were closed. "Yes...?"

"Sit down and shut up."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The smaller Uzumaki immediately sat down stiffly, not willing to anger his cousin. He hadn't seen her angry before, but she was scary when she was annoyed.

Iruka sighed, silently thanking the redhead for shutting the blonde up. "Alright, this afternoon we'll introduce the jounin senseis. Take a break until then."

Shiru was reading a book on one of the many roofs when she felt the distressed fluctuation of Sasuke's chakra, and looked up.

Her eyes settled upon 'Sasuke' who came out of the window she was near. Even without the obvious differences with their chakra signatures, she knew it was Naruto.

When Naruto left, Shiru contemplated whether or not she should check on the Uchiha who was still tied up.

_'I suppose it would benefit my mission.'_ She decided, flickering from her spot to standing in front of a squirming Uchiha.

Onyx eyes glared up at her once he realised she was near, but she remained unphased as she knelt down and ripped the tape off his mouth.

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed or disappointed that Naruto managed to tie you up." She commented nonchalantly, the corner of her lips twitching upwards at his glare.

"Just help me, will you?" He demanded with spite and annoyance. The girl clicked her tongue before untying the struggling boy.

When he was free, Sasuke furrowed his brows in irritation and stood up; dusting himself off.

"It's time to go." The redhead stated, looking out the open window. "If you see Naruto, tell him to meet me at the classroom." He looked in her direction, only to find that she had gone already.

Sasuke stared at the spot the female Uzumaki stood for a few seconds in thought, then simply sighed and left.

* * *

"So this is Naruto's house?" A silver-haired ninja inquired, picking up the milk carton and examining it. _'This went bad a while ago.'_

The third Hokage nodded. "He lives here with his cousin, Uzumaki Shiru."

The jounin shifted his gaze to the old man. "Cousin?"

Hiruzen nodded. "She was chased by some of Orochimaru's men a while back. Luckily, we saved her and she's been living with him ever since. He had a smaller apartment before she came."

Kakashi hummed in thought.

"Coincidentally, they're both on your team. Naruto's a moron, but I think giving him and Shiru to you is best."

"You put them together?" The copy-nin blinked in mild surprise. Hiruzen nodded.

"I think it'd be good for the two of them, since they only have each other. Plus, it also works out as the three of them balance each other out." The Hokage chuckled. "You will also have Sasuke of the Uchiha clan as the third member. Good luck."

Kakashi sighed. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Sasuke sat behind the first desk in the classroom whilst Shiru leant against it as she read some book about fuinjutsu. Naruto was peeking his head out of the door.

"Why is the sensei of our team so damn late?!" Naruto complained, looking back to his teammates as if they had the answer. "All the other teams have gone off with their senseis, and even Iruka-sensei left."

The Uchiha glanced at Naruto as he set up a prank for their sensei.

"That's what you get for being late!" The blonde snickered.

Sasuke scoffed. "Pfft. Like a jounin is going to fall for such a simple booby-trap."

Shiru remained silent, already feeling the mysterious chakra signature of Hatake Kakashi. It reminded her of rain, and the dew of grass. Probably from standing in front of the memorial stone too much.

When Kakashi slid open the door and the blackboard duster plopped onto his head, Naruto burst out with laughter.

"Gyahahaha! You fell for it!"

Sasuke stared at their sensei skeptically. _'Is this really a jounin? He doesn't seem reliable.'_

The copy-nin's only visible eye scanned his group, the red-haired girl who seemed to ignore his presence as she read a book made him raise an eyebrow.

"Hm...how can I say this?" He grasped his chin in faux-thought. "My first impression is...I don't like you guys."

The two boys gave their sensei a dull look, and Shiru merely glanced at the man once before closing her book.

"Meet me up at the roof in five minutes." He order, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Only a second after, Naruto and Sasuke realised that Shiru had also disappeared.

As Kakashi and Shiru waited for the rest of the team, the copy nin stared at the girl who sat idly on the steps; her book once again out and being read.

_'This is Naruto's cousin?'_ He wondered. _'They're polar opposites.'_

_'He's staring...'_ The redhead noted. _'Does he know that I know he's staring?'_

The next few minutes was slightly awkward until the two finally appeared on the roof and sat on the steps with her, with Naruto on the right, Sasuke in the middle and Shiru on the left.

"Okay..." Kakashi started. "Let's begin with some introductions."

Naruto tilted his head. "What do you want to know?"

The silver-haired ninja shrugged. "How about your likes, dislikes...dreams for the future, hobbies, stuff like that."

The blonde leaned forward. "Why don't you introduce yourself to us first?" He suggested.

Kakashi hummed. "Oh, me? My name Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you about my likes or dislikes. Dreams for the future? Hmm...well, I have a lot of hobbies." He stated, barely giving any information.

The two boys gave the same squinty-eyed expression they gave him before.

"Now, your turn. From the right."

Shiru tuned out from Naruto's introduction, already knowing it was about ramen and being Hokage. When it was Sasuke's turn, she decided to listen.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are heaps of things I dislike, but not really anything I like. And...I don't want to use the word 'dream' but...I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and...to kill a certain man."

That's when it clicked. She now knew of a way to influence Sasuke to the 'dark side', per say.

He had an inferiority-superiority complex, right? She could use that against him. Putting him down by saying he's weaker than both Shiru and Naruto...he'd lose his mind.

"Okay...lastly, the girl."

Kakashi's voice brought her out of her thoughts, causing her to look up and close her book with a sigh. She ignored the mildly curious stares she received.

"My name is Uzumaki Shiru. The blonde idiot beside the Uchiha is my cousin, just for added information." Shiru started, cracking her back. "I like a few things. I dislike a lot of things. I have no particular dream for the future. My hobbies include reading and training."

The three males all sighed with various amounts of enthusiasm.

_'Should've expected her to be boring.'_ Naruto pouted. Even though he lived with the girl and had known her for a few months, he barely knew a thing about her.

Sasuke closed his eyes.

Kakashi gave the girl an approving look. _'I'm glad she seems to be more interested in ninjutsu than most girls her age are.'_

"That's enough of that, then. We will start our duties tomorrow." The copy nin explained with little enthusiasm.

Naruto cheered. "Duties, duties, duties! What kind of duties?!"

"First," Kakashi spoke. "we're going to be doing something with just the four of us."

Naruto basically radiated energy as he shuffled whilst sitting. "What, what?"

"Survival training."

The blonde seemed to the only one who actually engaged in the conversation, the other two remaining silent.

"I'm your opponent, but this isn't normal training." He explained further.

"Then, then! What is it?"

The Uchiha tensed at their jounin's strange chuckle.

"What are you laughing for?" Naruto asked with a mild tone of annoyance.

Shiru decided to speak up, earning herself the multiple stares. "He's probably finding it amusing that out of the twenty-seven graduates, only about nine will actually become genin." She explained briefly. "The rate of failure is over sixty-six percent."

Her cousin froze, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Kakashi sighed, dropping the act he was putting up.

"Exactly as she says. Tomorrow, you'll be graded on the training field."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. _'I don't do teamwork.'_

Sure, she worked relatively well with the residents of Otogakure, but proper teamwork was...that meant to trust in your team, and trust was something Shiru found was hard to come by.

"Make sure to skip breakfast. You'll throw up otherwise."

Naruto shook with determination as Kakashi handed out the paper and told them not to be later tomorrow.

The older Uzumaki skimmed lazily through the contents, her cousin freaking out and their stoic Uchiha scrunching up the paper and giving off a tense aura.

The copy-nin didn't bother to say goodbye, leaving the three on the rooftop.

Shiru was the first to stand up. "I recommend that you eat breakfast, Sasuke." She advised the dark-haired boy, who gave her a hard stare in return.

"But, Shiru-chan!" Naruto interrupted. "Kakashi-sensei just said that we shouldn't."

His cousin shifted her impassive eyes over to him, unnerving him. "You do realise that skipping breakfast and then trying to train dulls your senses, right?"

Neither of the two boys responded, both processing the information. "I'm suspecting that his test revolved around teamwork."

"What?" Sasuke bit out, his stare turning into a glare as he looked at the redhead standing before him.

Said redhead cracked her knuckles. "I don't work well with teamwork either, but if it is, make sure you're prepared. Naruto, pick up some more cereal before you come home."

Before either of them could reply, she was gone.

Naruto yelled in frustration. "She always does that!"

The Uchiha ignored his idiot teammate, instead thinking on what his female one had said.

_'I don't need a team, let alone teamwork.'_ He thought darkly. _'But what am I going to do if it is the test?'_

Sasuke glanced to the blonde who jumped off the roof.

_'I'll be forced to work with the Uzumaki cousins.'_

Working with Shiru didn't seem half as annoying as working with the blonde-haired idiot known as her cousin.

In the end, though, he didn't need either of them to succeed in his goal.

* * *

**Doone. Yay. Love it? Hate it? Review?  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**I was heartbroken. Only one person reviewed for last chapter. Pained my heart, it did. But I still decided to update for you all.  
**

* * *

When a certain raven-haired boy arrived at the training ground they were meant to be meeting at, his eyes went to his two teammates who seemed to have beat him.

Shiru was leaning against a tree, one hand in her pocket and the other holding a book that she was reading. Naruto was sleeping on the ground a metre or so away.

He said nothing as he sat about two metres away from Shiru, his thoughts becoming clouded with questions for the girl.

_'I ate breakfast...'_ He thought, but would never admit it out loud. _'I want to know how she knows it's a teamwork test.'_

Sasuke looked to the redhead, who apparently didn't even bother to acknowledge his presence. Somehow, that irked him; but he tried to not let it show.

"Shiru." Saying her name was awkward on his tongue, and he looked away as if to hide that fact.

His teammate glanced at him, closing her book and placing it in one of her pockets. "Yes?"

Shiru knew what he wanted to talk about, but it was amusing to have the stoic Uchiha speak when he was clearly uncomfortable.

Sasuke frowned, taking his time to get his words right. "How...do you suggest we beat him?" He cleared his throat, coughing into his hand as naturally as possible. The Uchiha hated having to rely on others, and if Shiru's plan didn't work out, he could just push her aside to do it his own way.

The redhead flicked her hand in the direction of Naruto, onyx eyes just barely catching the glint of metal that left her hand and into the blonde's thigh.

"Agh! Ow!" Naruto jumped up at the sudden pain, flailing dramatically before looking at his thigh and narrowing his eyes at his cousin. "What the hell, Shiru-chan?!"

The Uchiha smirked. _'Serves the idiot right for sleeping.'_

"It's time for battle strategy." Was all she had, pushing off the tree and sitting across Sasuke nonchalantly. Her cousin groaned before pulling out the senbon and crawling towards them to make an informal triangle.

"So how are we going to beat Kakashi-sensei?" The blonde yawned, scratching his head as he blinked multiple times to wake up properly.

"Teamwork." Shiru stated with a dull expression, feeling like she said it too many times already. "Whilst I'd much rather do this solo," Sasuke silently agreed with that, "I can't. Up against a jounin, individually fighting him would be stupid and if you believe that you were stronger than him, then you're idiots."

The raven-haired boy scowled at her. "He doesn't seem that reliable." He retorted.

Shiru blinked at him, her gaze unnerving him. "And you seem like you have a stick up your ass. Am I correct?" His eyes widened at her blunt mockery towards him.

Naruto couldn't help but snicker at both his cousin's blunt nature and teme's dumbfounded face. His laughter brought Sasuke out of his stupor and the raven-haired boy glared fiercely at the two Uzumaki cousins.

"Don't underestimate your opponent. Don't underestimate your team. You will get killed." She advised, sighing at the way his glare was now solely on her. "If you can't handle the truth, then you've got some growing up to do."

_'This woman!'_ Sasuke gritted his teeth, glaring up a storm but not exactly doing anything. He knew she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. It was a trait of his to underestimate his opponents and even his teammates.

Currently, he couldn't tell whether or not he preferred one of those girls infatuated with him or the redhead who blatantly did not care for him and seemed to find it amusing when she mocked him.

"Now, let's get back to what we were discussing before."

The three of them made battle strategies in the time it took for Kakashi to arrive. Because he was late, that gave them much more planning time than they would've had if he was early.

"Morning guys." He greeted, blinking at the various reactions he received.

The blonde jumped up and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You're late!"

Sasuke and Shiru merely stood up, both remaining impassive. Kakashi noted that the Uchiha seemed to be annoyed with the redhead, as the way he kept glowering and glancing irritably at the girl who didn't seem to give a shit at all and was lost in her own thoughts.

He placed a clock on the tree stump, setting it for noon and announcing that to his team.

The copy-nin reached into his pocket and took out a pair of bells, holding them up clearly for the graduates to see.

"Here are two bells," He stated the obvious, "your task is to take them from me before noon."

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes at the bells. _'She was right about the bells...'_

"Those who cannot get a bell by noon...get no lunch. I'll not only tie you to a stump, I'll eat right in front of you."

Naruto dramatically whimpered, as Shiru asked to make it seem like they hadn't had breakfast; when they actually did.

"You only need to get one bell, there are two...so one of you will definitely be tied to a stump." Kakashi made a slightly dark expression as he explained. "And...a person who doesn't take a bell...fails. So at least one of you will be sent back to the academy."

_'This doesn't sound like we need teamwork at all...'_ Sasuke clenched his fists, glancing at the taller girl beside him with more than a little annoyance. She shifted her eyes to him, and he was about to look away when she made a small, secretive smile. His eyes widened slightly at that. _'She knew...!'_

"You can even use your shuriken, because you won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

The silver-haired ninja gauged all of their reactions.

He was mildly surprised of their reserved demeanour, especially Naruto, who merely had his hands behind his back and squinting his eyes.

_'Shiru-chan said to not underestimate our opponent, otherwise we'll get killed.'_ The blonde recited, taking his cousin's advice to heart.

_'How boring...'_ Kakashi sighed. "Alright...ready? Start!"

The two boys jumped up immediately whilst Shiru body flickered away in a puff of smoke.

Whilst Sasuke and Shiru hid, Naruto took the time to face the jounin by himself. The copy-nin noted that he couldn't sense the girl's chakra signature.

_'She must be hiding it...but a genin shouldn't be able to do that.'_ He mentally noted as the blonde challenged him. _'Perhaps she had a different quota in Kusagakure.'_

Shiru crouched beside the Uchiha, startling the latter. She merely glanced at him with a gaze that made him feel like an idiot.

_'I couldn't feel her coming at all...'_

They both watched as Naruto distracted Kakashi. Just as the jounin was about to do his 'A thousand years of pain' technique, the redhead signaled that Sasuke was to intercept now.

Gritting his teeth, he complied and pushed off the branch and towards Kakashi. He threw several shuriken, which surprisingly hit the copy-nin.

_'He switched out...'_ The Uchiha noted just as 'Kakashi' popped into a log with his weapons imbedded in the wood. He realised too late that the silver-haired ninja had appeared behind him, but was reluctantly grateful that Naruto had come to his aide before he was hit, despite how sloppy he was.

Kakashi jumped back, book still in his hand but facing away from him as his only visible eye looked at the two boys who appeared to be working together.

He was forced to put away his book when the two would come at him simultaneously, surprisingly working well together. They were unable to land a hit, and instead Sasuke aimed for the bells hanging off his vest whilst Naruto attempted to distract him with a combo of punches and kicks.

The copy-nin body flickered away within the trees, leaving the two boys looking around in alarm.

_'Where is Shiru?'_ He wondered, his inability to sense her making him a little anxious. Even he couldn't smell her scent. Did she have one?

As if on cue, Shiru appeared beside him, aiming for the bells. He moved away from her hand, but then figured out it was a clone; again moving away from the Shiru behind him that went for the bells.

"I found you!" Naruto's voice from below gained his attention, but the split-second distraction cost him the bells.

The Shiru clones disappeared with a pop, the real redhead now sitting on a nearby branch with the bells in her hand and the same impassive expression she seemed to always have. Her chakra signature came out of hiding once the goal had been done.

Kakashi looked at the girl, before crinkling his eye as he smiled under his mask.

"Well done." He praised her, and she nodded; both of them body flickering back to the tree stumps.

Naruto and Sasuke appeared not too long after, both panting lightly. They looked to Shiru, and when she held up the bells; Naruto cheered enthusiastically whilst the Uchiha smirked in triumph.

The silver-haired nin had to admit, he wasn't expecting such teamwork from them. There was always some kind of tension within the trio. Naruto and Sasuke had already begun their rivalry, but the jounin was beginning to suspect a one-sided rivalry with the redhead.

His eye shifted to Shiru.

_'I have a feeling it wouldn't have gone this way if she wasn't here.'_

He coughed into his hand, earning their attention.

"First of all, well done. I underestimated you, and that was my downfall." He began. The bell began to ring, but he silenced it with his hand. "Did any of you know the answer to this test?"

_'Interesting...'_ He commented mentally when the two boys looked to their female teammate, who leaned against the stump leisurely with her arms folded.

"Teamwork." She answered with a monotone. "Why would you put ninjas in teams if you aren't going to work together?"

The girl received a dark glare from the Uchiha, but she simply avoided his gaze.

_'She's mocking me...'_ Sasuke internally growled.

"Correct." Their sensei confirmed. "I'm surprised that you figured it out, though." He rubbed the back of his head. "The test was designed to purposefully make you all fight amongst yourselves, but because you didn't and you all worked together, it was a lot easier to obtain the bells from me."

Shiru got lost in her thoughts as Kakashi went on, unintentionally ignoring her teammates as they conversed.

On reflex, she punched the blonde in the face when he attempted to hug her in celebration of their success to becoming a ninja. The redhead blinked as she returned to the real world, her eyes looking blankly at her cousin who was rolling around on the ground and holding his bleeding nose.

"Oh." Was all she said, an apology not following after.

Kakashi and Sasuke felt like face palming at the interactions of the Uzumaki cousins.

Despite how she mocked him, Sasuke had to admit that he had a reluctant respect for the girl, and only a little for her cousin.

The jounin kept a watchful eye on the redhead, who seemed to be quite the enigma. She had a sense of maturity far superior to any in her age group, and he couldn't fully judge her skills when she barely showed him anything.

But like her raven-haired teammate, she distanced herself. Even from her cousin.

Sighing, her sensei decided that he'd just have to keep an eye on her.

* * *

Emerald eyes glinted with an unknown emotion as she watched the cat known as Tora suffer in the hands of its owner, Madam Shijimi.

"Oh, my cute little Tora-chan! I was so worried!" She crooned, smothering the cat with her cheek.

A dark sense of humour within Shiru caused her to crack an amused smirk.

After the woman left, Hiruzen looked at the next available missions for team seven.

"NO! NO! NO! No thank you!" Naruto declared, using his arms to create a cross. "I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one." He demanded.

Though Sasuke didn't say it aloud, he agreed whilst the two other ninja of team seven sighed.

Iruka stood up, leaning over the desk and proceeded with lecturing the blonde. "You idiot! You're just a rookie! Everyone starts with the simple duties and works their way up!"

"But! But! We keep getting the crappiest missions possible!" Naruto retorted, earning himself a whack to the head from his sensei.

"Be quiet, you."

"Naruto!" The Hokage spoke up. "It seems that I have to explain to you what all these duties are about."

At first, Shiru had begun listening to Naruto's talk about ramen as her fellow teammates did; but soon began to think about fruit.

Her eyes shifted to the door where she felt an unfamiliar chakra signature coming from. The moment the door opened, her face scrunched up with disgust as the smell of alcohol invaded her nose.

"What's this?" The old bridge builder looked at them skeptically. "They're all a bunch of super brats."

"How shallow." She muttered, the Uchiha beside her nodding slightly in agreement.

"Especially the shortest one with the stupid-looking face. Are you really a ninja? Hey?"

Naruto immediately radiated weak killing intent, already knowing that he was the shortest with Shiru being the tallest.

"I'll kill you!"

Kakashi easily held the small bundle of energy by the collar.

"What's the point in killing someone we're supposed to protect? Idiot." He chided.

"I am the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna." The drunk introduced himself. "I expect you to provide me with super protection until I get back to my country and finish the bridge."

"Super." Sasuke muttered sarcastically.

The next day, the team and Tazuna met up. Whilst everyone brought backpacks, Shiru simply brought a sealing scroll that had all the necessary equipment she needed for the mission.

Extra baggage was not recommended with her profession.

The redhead blocked out her cousin's obnoxious voice, instead focusing on the two chakra signatures who had been tailing them for quite a while.

Her eyes immediately fell on the single puddle on the ground in front of them.

_'I'm surrounded by idiots.'_ She cringed slightly.

When the group had their backs to the puddle, that was when the mist nin had emerged.

Shiru's instinct was to instantly go behind them and simply get them off guard and kill them, but then she had to remember she needed to limit the skills she showed around the leaf nin.

Instead, she stopped; merely turning around to witness the mist brothers wrap their weaponized chain around the jounin.

"One down."

They pulled.

No one noticed how she remained calm when her companions' eyes widened with shock. Sasuke instantly steeled himself a moment after regaining his composure.

He glanced to Shiru, but was momentarily surprised to find her missing from her previous spot.

"Two down."

Onyx eyes darted to the direction of the voice, eyes narrowing at the two behind the blonde.

He pushed himself off the ground and towards the two enemy nin, not letting the fact that Shiru had suddenly appeared beside the one with the singular horn and kicked him in the stomach with enough force to send him into a nearby tree bother him.

The one she hadn't hit released the chain that connected to both their metal gauntlets, claws aiming for the Uchiha.

He moved with speed and grace, dodging the gauntlet and kicking the nin in the face.

That was when Kakashi blurred into sight behind the mist nin and caught him in a headlock.

Shiru grabbed the head of the nin she had kicked, and smashed his against the tree with just enough force to knock him out and possibly give him a concussion.  
The redhead sighed. _'Holding back is harder than I thought.'_

Naruto stared in shock as Kakashi praised both Shiru and Sasuke, the two appearing as if nothing had happened.

_'They...they saved me. Were they not scared at all?'_

The Uchiha glanced at the blonde, a smug smirk on his face as he called to him. "Hey! You alright...scaredy cat?"

The blonde was ready to jump at his rival, but froze when he realised Shiru was staring at him. He gulped at the intensity of her stare, before breaking eye contact and looking away in shame.

"Tazuna-san." Kakashi addressed their client.

"Yes!" The bridge builder jumped, obviously nervous. "What is it?"

"These look like hidden mist chuunin," The jounin commented after tying the two to the tree, "these shinobi are known to continue fighting no matter what."

The conscious one glared at the copy-nin. "How did you read our movements?" He asked, as if it wasn't totally obvious.

Shiru snorted a little too loudly, earning all the attention. "I'm not sure if that was just a simple mistake or you're naturally this stupid, but the fact that it hasn't rained in a few days should indicate that puddles wouldn't be around." She explained with blunt mockery, which gauged various reactions.

Kakashi nodded. "Indeed, I could've killed you two instantly...but I wanted to find something out."

Tazuna glanced at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Meaning...were they after you or us?" He responded. "We haven't heard that there are shinobi after you, our mission was simply protect you from thieves and gangs."

The copy-nin sighed. "This has at least become a B-rank mission. This was supposed to be a simple protection until you completed the bridge."

The old bridge builder looked down with a hard frown.

The redhead ignored the interactions of her team and their client, closing her eyes and opening her mind's eye to see if they were actually alone.

_'I want to leave, dammit.'_

* * *

The redhead slapped the blonde upside his head when he randomly threw shuriken in the bushes and played it off 'coolly'.

"Ow, Shiru-chan!"

Sasuke scoffed. "Stop being such an idiot and maybe you won't get hit, loser."

"What'd you say?!"

Shiru snapped to attention at the nearby hostile chakra signature.

"Shut up." She ordered, causing the two boys to giving questioning looks at her.

Kakashi narrowed his eye at her. _'She must be a sensor type...'_ He thought, before his eyes widened in alarm.

"Everyone get down!"

Sasuke brought Tazuna down with him whilst Shiru brought down Naruto, unintentionally smashing his face into the dirt.

Or was it really unintentional?

The spinning sword Shiru could identify as the Kubikiribocho passed over their heads and embedded itself in the nearby tree.

She could feel Zabuza's chakra signature quickly move from his place in the bushes to on top of his blade.

"Well, well." Kakashi started as his team all stood up, "if it isn't the hidden Mist's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza-kun."

Naruto was about to charge at the badly-dressed missing-nin, but was stopped by his sensei's hand.

"Everybody get back." The copy-nin warned. "This one's on a whole other level."

"It'll be a little tough, unless I use this..." Shiru watched as the leaf jounin revealed his sharingan eye.

"You appear to be sharingan Kakashi.." Zabuza commented. "Sorry, but...the old man is mine."

The redhead already turned, passing a shocked Uchiha and moving into a protective formation around Tazuna.

"Surround and protect Tazuna-san. Do not enter the fight, that's the teamwork here." Their sensei ordered the genin.

The girl ignored their obnoxious amount of talking.

_'Seriously, who talks this much when you're meant to be fighting?'_

Something clicked in her mind, startling her. _'Wait, I remember his chakra signature.'_ She remembered in alarm, her eyes darting to the missing-nin who was too busy talking with the copy-nin.

_'Shit. I crossed paths with him once, years ago with Orochimaru. When the Kaguya clan attacked Kirigakure and the snake recruited Kimimaro.'_

She could only hope that the mist nin didn't remember her. She also wondered if he possessed the bingo book with her in it.

The girl was definitely in there, as her master had shown her a few years ago. It was outdated and it was a picture of her when she was under a henge though. Her alias was 'Fumei', which meant unknown. Creative, indeed.

Shiru was thrown out of her thoughts when the two jounin began to fight, Sasuke and Naruto instantly forming a protective triangle around Tazuna, with her in the front.

Her eyes landed on the form standing upon the surface of the water, eyes narrowing at the fact that he was about to use the 'Hidden Mist' jutsu.

As they were surrounded by the mist filled with chakra, Shiru moved into a defensive position; using the time the missing-nin was using to intimidate them to open her mind's eye.

The familiar chakra of Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi was a greenish-hue whilst Tazuna's was blue. The mist was a light blue, and she had to concentrate on finding the actual person.

A sudden killing intent caused Sasuke to freeze up, his body shaking in fear. His fearful eyes shakily glanced to the girl in front of him, who appeared to be unphased.

_'W-What the hell is wrong with her? I feel like my life is being squeezed..'_

"Sasuke..." Kakashi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me."

The Uchiha felt the blood rush to his cheeks in embarrassment.

"I don't...let my comrades die."

Shiru's eyes opened, her hand grabbing the black hilt of her blade and unsheathing it with such speed that the two genin beside her hadn't seen the movement. In one swift movement, she turned and swung the blade, effectively severing the head of Zabuza's water clone.

The movement broke their protective formation, the water clone returning to its liquid nature and watering the dirt below them.

Kakashi held a kunai against the other Zabuza's neck before he had a chance to swing his blade at his genin team.

"Don't move!"

The redhead clicked her tongue as she turned to face her sensei and the Zabuza that she knew was another water clone, flicking the water off her tachi and looking at the adults with a blank stare.

_'What is wrong with these people? 'Don't move!', why don't you just kill him? He's obviously the enemy, and there'd be nothing to gain from keeping him alive.'_ Shiru frowned, disapproving of the way they just seemed to talk and talk and give the missing-nin more chances to kill them.

The girl breathed deeply, attempting to calm her irked nerves._ 'Calm down...have to hold back.'_ She let out a deep breath, pushing down the urge to just kill the mist nin and save them all from the unnecessary fight about to ensue.

Her eyes were dark with thought when Kakashi was thrown into the river, allowing himself to be caught in the water prison Zabuza created. _'I should just cut his hand off. Or his head. This is a waste of time.'_

The three genin watched as a water clone formed in front of them, the water clone now beginning to taunt them.

"Hehe...wearing forehead protectors and acting like real ninja. But you know what? A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death." He stated, something Shiru had to reluctantly agree with.

"Basically...once you're good enough to be listed in my handbook...then you can start calling yourself ninja. You guys should not be referred to as ninjas."

_'I suppose it's safe to say that he doesn't remember me.'_ She commented dryly within her head, moving to intercept the missing-nin's attack on Naruto.

She appeared in time to push her cousin out of the water, just dodging Zabuza's foot. The missin-nin's eyes widened at the girl who unexpectedly saved her teammate. "What?"

The girl's eyes instantly attracted his attention._ 'Heh...looks like this one isn't like her teammates.'_ He chuckled internally, finding amusement in the barely suppressed killing intent radiating off the girl and the way she looked him dead in the eye with detached emotions.

_'So this one is a true ninja.'_

"Shiru!" Kakashi called the redhead's name in worry. "Get away from him! Take Tazuna and run away!"

Zabuza noticed the way the young teen in front of him clicked her tongue in displeasure. "So that's your name." His water clone spoke up, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Shiru, is it? Well, then. Do they know of your real nature?"

The mist-nin grinned behind the bandages on his face when her killing intent hit him like a wave.

"You talk too much." She merely stated, decapitating the water clone in a swift movement and landed silently on the ground.

Her teammates stared at her in shock, unable to comprehend her strange nature.

Naruto shook. _'How can she be so calm!? She's cool and composed, not even breaking a sweat and here I am being saved by her!'_ The blonde grit his teeth in frustration, moving to stand up after finding some motivation to stop being such a damn coward. _'I'm never going to be Hokage at this rate!'_

"Hey! You eyebrowless freak!" He yelled, the real Zabuza turning his attention to the small Uzumaki. "Put this in your handbook! The man who will one day become Hokage...the leaf village ninja...Uzumaki Naruto!"

His declaration earned him various reactions from all that were present, his cousin just sighing and moving to his side.

"Hey, idiot." Shiru called to Sasuke, who glared at her. "It's time for strategy."

Kakashi watched with a sense of pride as the genin made strategy with Tazuna nearby, but worry was quickly overwhelming him. He was about to yell for them to leave, but his jailer spoke up.

"That girl..." He muttered, currently in thought and furrowing his brow muscles as he analysed the redhead. "she's familiar."

The silver-haired ninja's eyes widened in shock. _'How?!'_ His gaze shifted to the girl of her team, her demeanour calm and collected; causing him to narrow his eyes in suspicion. _'She definitely looks experienced.'_

Shiru had to resist the unimaginable urge to just face palm. She let the two boys use their strategy, but by god they had to be delayed by listening to the mist nin's goddamn past.

_'Who honestly gives a shit?'_ She sighed. This fight wouldn't drag out nearly as long if they would just shut up and fight. But no, they just had to converse mid-battle about how devilish the horrible-looking ninja holding their sensei prisoner was._ 'I can't do anything more, now. Kakashi's already suspicious about me.'_ If the way the jounin was staring at her wasn't an indication. _'Maybe I should've just pretended to be useless. Agh. I'm getting impatient.'_ The girl shook her head, displeased with her impatient attitude.

When Zabuza created another clone, Shiru let Naruto and Sasuke deal with it; standing in front of Tazuna lazily. _'It's not even about him, anymore.'_

It wasn't too long before Kakashi was free, and now they were wasting chakra on each other whilst the genin and Tazuna watched.

She had to admit that water dragons were badass, though, but used the body replacement technique to dodge the wave of water that was a side effect of their jutsu.

_'I'd rather not get my clothes wet. Unnecessary weight.'_

Shiru came back down when realising that Haku's chakra signature was coming closer now, her feet touching the ground the moment senbon pierced the missing-nin's neck.

"Hehe, you're right. He's dead." Haku commented from a nearby branch, shocking the group.

Kakashi checked Zabuza's pulse, confirming that his pulse had stopped.

Temporarily.

"Thank you very much." Haku appeared on the ground in front of the group, bowing slightly. "I've been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time."

"That mask...you're a mist hunter-nin." The copy-nin stated.

"Impressive, you are correct."

"Hunter-nin?" Naruto repeated, confused.

"Yes, my duty is to hunt down missing-nin. I'm a member of the hidden Mist's hunter-nin team." Haku explained.

Naruto looked panicked, looking from Zabuza's body to Haku and repeating that movement for a few seconds.

"What the hell?! Who are you?" The blonde demanded, pointing a finger at the boy not much older than him.

"Don't worry, Naruto. He's not an enemy." Kakashi reassured the small boy.

"I'm not asking that!"

Shiru's eye twitched slightly. "Naruto, shut up."

Her cousin reeled back in shock at her intimidating tone, the rest of her team also surprised at the the uncharacteristic irritation lacing her voice.

"Everyone has varying levels of skill. Quit whining about it." Her cold tone hurt the younger Uzumaki, but he obediently remained silent.

When the 'hunter-nin' kneeled in front of Zabuza, he tensed at the touch of the cold blade pressing lightly against his neck; Haku's eyes darting to the girl with unreadable emerald eyes and wild red hair.

_'She's fast!'_

"Shiru! What are you doing? He's not the enemy." Kakashi explained hurriedly to the girl.

"He reeks of Zabuza." She stated briefly, as if that explained everything.

Haku's fingers twitched as Kakashi seemed to be seeing if she was correct.

_'I have to leave, now.'_ The masked boy thought, about to grab Zabuza's body when he was suddenly knocked out by Kakashi.

The redhead resheathed her tachi, her annoyance radiating off her like steam.

_'Bunch of incompetents.'_ She sneered.

The copy-nin kneeled down, smelling the scent of the mist-nin all over the boy posing as a hunter-nin. The boy hadn't even touched the missing-nin and he was already smothered in his scent?

"They were working together." The jounin breathed.

"So, what do we do?" Sasuke asked, casually walking towards the two bodies.

"I suppose we take Zabuza's head and sword, and burn their bodies. Can you wait over there while I do that?" The silver-haired nin stood up as his two genin walked away obediently. His eyes was glued to the back of the Uzumaki girl's head.

_'She's not at the level of a genin.'_ He noted with a frown. She was fast, caught onto the scent of Zabuza on Haku before he did, her skill with a sword and her taijutsu were above average from what he had seen. Her demeanour to battle situations told him that she was experienced in these kind of events. Yes, the girl was definitely not a genin. He'd have to ask the Hokage more about her when they got back.

Whilst Kakashi burnt the bodies, Shiru leaned against a tree; her arms folded and her brows furrowed.

_'Shit. My impatience revealed too much of my skill for it to look like I was a genin. Kakashi isn't an idiot. Dammit.'_ The redhead chided herself for her idiocy, ignoring the way her two teammates stared at her.

The Uchiha gave the girl a hard stare, his irritation barely hidden. She was stronger than him. That was unacceptable. He wasn't as oblivious as Naruto to not see that she thought little of them, what with the way she spoke to them.

Naruto sulked. He had tried to help her, but she gave him the cold shoulder. _'What's up with her?'_

He was about to ask her outright, but was interrupted when they heard a thump and turned to see that their sensei had collapse, smoke from the burning bodies rising up a few metres behind him.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

* * *

Tsunami placed her hands on her hips as she looked down to the bed-ridden copy-nin. "Are you alright, sensei?" She asked, frowning in worry.

"Yeah..." Kakashi replied softly. "I just can't move for about a week or so."

The three genin and Tazuna sat about around the room, Shiru leaning against a wall and reading a book whilst Sasuke sat about a metre away from her. Naruto sat on the near Kakashi's feet and Tazuna laid about on the other side of the room.

An hour or so past, and Shiru was still reading her book until she noticed something, and raised her head from her book to make eye contact with the onyx eyes of the Uchiha.

_'Girls find that gaze attractive?'_

"Do you often stare at people you know are stronger than you?" She asked leisurely, closing her book and raising her eyebrow at the younger boy.

His eyes narrowed into a glare, before he clicked his tongue and looked away. "Tch. You sure are full of yourself."

"Perhaps if you were worthy of being my equal, I wouldn't seem as such." The redhead retorted, purposefully taunting the raven-haired ninja.

Frankly, it was working.

"You..." Sasuke tensed his fist.

"If you want me to acknowledge you, you have a long way to go." She sighed, opening her book again and returning her attention to the words in it.

The Uchiha disregarded her with a click of his tongue, looking away from the infuriating girl once again.

That was the moment the one-sided rivalry between Sasuke and Shiru had begun.

_'I won't lose to her.'_

Little did he know that Naruto was thinking the same thing about him.

The redheaded Uzumaki felt even more tired being around these people. _'Damn you, Orochimaru. Why couldn't you get someone else to do this?'_ She silently cursed, making sure to keep her spite off her face. _'I have to think up of a way to make sure I don't raise anymore suspicion against me.' _

Kakashi later revealed that they would be receiving training, at the convenient time Inari had decided to show up.

"Ohh! Inari! How are you?!" Tazuna greeted his grandson, his arms open to embrace the tiny child.

"Welcome back, grandpa..."

"Inari, say hello to these people." His mother told him as he clung to the bridge builder. "These are the ninja who protected grandpa."

The two male genin gave the kid a blank stare whilst Shiru ignored his presence.

"Mum...they're going to die." He looked to his mother with a blank stare.

"What did you say, you little brat!" Naruto jumped up. His cousin sighed at the energy he possessed.

"There's no way you can win against Gatou..." Inari replied.

"You brat! I'll-ow!" The blonde's hand instantly went to his head, his eyes looking at the rock that landed on the floor beside him. "What the hell! Who threw that?!" He demanded, looking between his two impassive teammates fiercely.

"You should probably shut up, dobe." Sasuke drawled, obviously unamused.

"You should leave if you don't want to die..." The little kid with the bucket hat interrupted as he was about to leave.

"Where are you going, Inari?" Tazuna questioned his grandson.

"To look at the ocean from my room." He replied, disappearing behind the door.

The blonde ninja snorted, following after the little brat.

_'Idiot.'_ Was the thought that both the Uchiha and female Uzumaki had after the shortest member of team seven left.

* * *

**Now, I'm off to revise some maths for my exam in a few hours. Yay.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I wanted to tell you guys that there's a poll on my profile for the character you want Shiru to be with. It's not a thing where she'll be with the character with the most votes, but it'll be nice to know what my readers want. If you want me to add any onto the poll, PM me. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy; despite my fondness of skipping shit. **

* * *

Team seven stood along the forest floor with their sensei in front of them, using crutches as a support.

Sasuke stood in the middle of the trio, his hands leisurely placed in his pockets and a bored gaze on the silver-haired jounin.

Naruto was situated on the floor, his legs crossed and his hands pulling out the grass with childish satisfaction.

Shiru was leaning against the trunk of one of the many large trees surrounding them, her right hand in her pocket whilst her left held up a book for her to read. As she tried to concentrate on the book, her mind was filled with plans on how to lower the suspicions on her being.

_'I need to reign in my impatience. These idiots are most likely going to continue irking me with their inefficient methods.'_ She sighed outwardly, her teammates talking about the training they were to do._ 'Honestly, no wonder Orochimaru dislikes them.'_

Emerald eyes were situated on the words in her book, ignoring the copy-nin as he walked vertically up the tree nearest to him.

The two boys, on the other hand, stared up at him in awe as he explained the fundamentals of chakra and controlling it.

Kakashi's eye watched the Uzumaki girl who didn't even pay attention to him, his eye narrowing a fraction.

_'If she's more skilled than I first thought, then she should be able to do this with relative ease. I can't just report to the Hokage that she may be a spy just because she's skilled.'_ It wasn't unusual for a genin of another village to possess more than genin skills. She could've learnt from a young age.

The only female only began to pay attention when three kunai embedded themselves in the dirt before her and her teammates.

"Use those kunai to mark how high you make it up the tree." He explained briefly. "Then use that mark as your goal and surpass it. You guys won't be good enough to walk up the tree at first. So get some momentum and and try running up the tree, got it?"

"This training is nothing to me! I could do it before breakfast!" The blonde bragged, holding the kunai in a pose. None of them failed to notice the way his cousin snorted.

Shiru raised her hand and looked up to the jounin in the tree with an impassive expression. "I already know how to do this." She informed him bluntly, making him widen his eye in mild surprise.

_'I wasn't expecting her to outright tell me.'_ He commented mentally. "Then show me."

Dropping her hand from the air and making the necessary hand seal to gather chakra to her feet as the other two did, she pushed off the tree she was leaning on and turned towards it; sticking her foot to the bark and then proceeding to walk up the tree vertically. Her hair and clothes didn't defy gravity as she herself had, making her look a little awkward until she sat upon the nearest branch; her face appearing as it had never moved a muscle.

Kakashi had to admit; she was good. But that put just that much more suspicion in him. "How did you learn?" He asked casually, appearing to be uninterested.

He kept an eye out for any signs of lying, but her voice was even; she wasn't looking everywhere but him; touching her face or anything. "I learnt from a young age. My father was more acquainted with the Uzumaki clan and the ninja arts, so he passed that onto me before he died." She lied smoothly, looking down with a slightly sorrowed look for effect after.

The jounin narrowed his eye, trying to find any signs of dishonesty. When she seemed to snap out of her strange trance-like state, she shook her head roughly as if letting her guard down was bad. Kakashi relaxed a little bit.

_'Either she's telling the truth, or she's a great liar.'_

Kakashi didn't reply as Naruto slipped and Sasuke used too much chakra and was forced away.

The two boys soon found their female teammate situated in a tree with her legs crossed. Her emerald eyes glanced at them, then at the kunai still in the dirt and decided to bring her own kunai and slash at the trunk.

To further irritate them (Sasuke more than Naruto), she stood up and sent the chakra to her feet; walking even farther up the tree at a casual pace until she got to a point where the tree wouldn't allow her to walk up any further, another convenient branch let her sit on that instead after stabbing the kunai in the trunk beside her.

Her eyes glistened with satisfaction when the raven-haired boy and the blonde both did their reactions of frustration and annoyance.

Sasuke glared up at the redhead, obviously displeased despite the way he was significantly more reserved than his blonde idiot of a teammate.

"Looks like the best at controlling chakra right now is Shiru." Kakashi stated with a lazed tone, still hanging idly upside down. Was the blood not rushing to his head? It seemed the silver-haired ninja too had the idea of mocking the two boys to further motivate them. "Wow, not only does she know a lot about chakra...but her control and stamina are quite good."

"Shiru is the closest to Hokage...unlike a certain someone." Naruto made a strange face at the insinuation. "I guess the Uchiha clan isn't much either, right Shiru?" The jounin's eye flickered to her as she simply nodded once.

"How dull." She agreed, her eyes watching as the Uchiha glowered darkly. _'He's so easy to manipulate, it's a little saddening.'_

_'Of course, all three of them seem to possess a large amount of chakra. If this training goes well, the three of them would be a powerful team...if their teamwork didn't suffer.'_ The copy-nin sighed inwardly. It was a little amusing. Naruto and Sasuke were both rivals, the two of them both possessing a one-sided rivalry with the redhead; mostly the Uchiha was more competitive. He analysed that she taunted them to further their motivation, as he had just done. But the Uchiha was spiteful and the blonde Uzumaki was impulsive and rash, which hindered the teamwork they surely need.

Shiru leaned against the tree trunk, her legs situated along the branch she sat on comfortably and read a book whilst her two teammates trained below her. Inari's weak chakra signature peaked her curiosity for only a minute before she decided to ignore the kid.

The girl was lost in the world of her book for an unknown amount of time, but when she had returned to her reality; Sasuke and Naruto were significantly dirtier and more worn out than before; their trees marked with cuts of their kunai.

Naruto swore, before walking to the tree she was in and yelled up at her. "Shiru-chan! I need your help!"

Sasuke perked up at hearing Naruto's plea, onyx eyes automatically narrowing when looking at the redhead.

The said redhead sighed, closing her book and placing it in her pocket before leaning over the side and letting gravity pull her down. Naruto began to panic, running around like a spaz to attempt to catch her. The effort was for naught since she flipped once in the air and landed silently on the grass in front of her cousin who was now situated on his ass.

"I'm assuming you want tips, brat?" She asked, obviously disinterested with her usual tone of voice.

* * *

Shiru sat on the edge of the bridge currently being built, a new book in her left hand and being read by her intensive eyes.

Tazuna came near her with planks of word and a safety helmet, taking the opportunity to make conversation with the enigma. "Where's the blonde kid and that other one?"

The girl took a moment to lift her gaze from her book and onto the bridge builder. _'Her eyes are intense.'_ Tazuna gulped.

"They're training." She simply replied, returning her gaze to her book and ignoring the miniscule sigh of relief the bridge builder released after having been removed of her stare.

"You don't have to?" He asked, obviously curious.

"No." She turned the page. "I've already mastered the training long before." That was the end of the 'conversation', the Uzumaki girl blocking out the world and intentionally ignoring the cowardice of one of the bridge workers.

A tired sigh escaped Shiru as she walked beside her client, her eyes closed since the aching pain of sleep deprivation temporarily became less bearable. The old bridge builder found it impressive that she hadn't bumped into anyone yet.

"I'm supposed to bring home food for lunch." He explained unnecessarily. She didn't care.

She leaned against the doorway, her arms folded whilst she waited for Tazuna to pick out the small amount of food to pick from. An incoming chakra signature fluctuated with a familiar sensation.

Her eyes glared at the man whose hand was halfway to her pockets, instantly causing the male to tense up.

"Do you want that hand?" It was a threat, they both knew. So he hightailed right out of there.

As the two were walking back, a child was about to approach the girl with the unkempt red hair; but once again when she turned to look at the kid; he ran.

Tazuna felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. "You sure do scare people a lot." He commented.

Her eyes returned to looking ahead, not bothering to glance at him. "I don't care. They are unimportant to me." The cold remark made Tazuna's heart clench.

"Well...I do. It's been like this since Gatou came. All the adults have lost hope. That's why we now need that bridge. A symbol of courage...we need for the people to lose their fear and regain the desire to stand up for themselves." He explained, looking around solemnly.

The redhead clicked her tongue.

"If that bridge can be completed, the city will return to that time. The people will return to how they used to be."

"Once something is changed, it is difficult to change it back." Shiru stated, earning herself a surprised glance. "Sometimes, it is impossible to change back. That is why you simply move forward in whichever direction. You only stop when you want to give up."

There was truth in her words. An underlying meaning that was connected to the past life she only vaguely remembered.

* * *

Shiru slapped the heads of Sasuke and Naruto at the dinner table, hogging down the food they were given. The both of them winced at the force and simultaneously glared at their female teammate who interrupted their hog time.

"If you throw up any of the food you just scarfed down, I will personally knock you out and throw you in the ocean." She threatened casually, eating the last bit of her meal. The two of them froze, instantly taking their time to chew the food that puffed up their cheeks and swallow slowly so they wouldn't upset their stomach any further. They both knew she would do it. She already did it once. "I know you two have to become stronger and all, but it's unsightly to see your vomit all over another person's floor."

Kakashi nodded knowingly in agreement.

Later that night, Shiru was sitting on the edge of the window in the room team seven all shared. Kakashi was downstairs, Naruto was out training and so the only two currently in the room was her and Sasuke.

The moon shone brightly down onto the ocean, it was a nice sight; a sight she frequently saw.

The Uchiha shifted in his futon. Then again. And again, before groaning and sitting up. He couldn't sleep when that woman's presence was so close and alert. Onyx eyes glared at her form, and though she wasn't looking in his direction; she knew.

"Do you never sleep?" Sasuke basically growled at her, frustration welling up inside him when she blatantly ignored him. "Hey!"

"What?" She finally replied, her entirely body language indicating her slight annoyance. Shiru turned her head to face him, the moonlight brightening the room a little.

"I said; do you ever sleep?" He reluctantly repeated, eyes furrowing even further.

"Do you ever not frown?" She retorted, ear twitching at the sound of a bird chirping somewhere nearby.

Sasuke immediately threw a kunai at the girl, not expecting it to hit but secretly wishing it did. Of course, she caught it and twirled it in her hand.

"No. I don't sleep. I would've thought you'd figure that out by the second night." The girl sighed, before suddenly disappearing after the Uchiha blinked once.

His eyes widened a fraction before narrowing again. '_Dobe was right, she always does that.'_

* * *

Tazuna sat on Kakashi as the jounin did push ups with only one finger, the two conversing about the mission whilst Shiru was on the other side of the room; her palm flat on the floor and the only thing keeping her up as she did a hand stand with her other hand behind her back.

The weights she wore made it harder for her to balance properly, and she shook multiple times whenever there was a slight leaning towards one side.

The copy-nin was impressed. She had been in the position for over an hour. That's some heavy discipline.

By the time dinner was around, Sasuke and Naruto had returned; all beaten up but accomplished. The blonde trained so much that he wasn't able to move properly and had to have the raven-haired ninja help him.

"They make a cute couple." Shiru teased with a straight face, Kakashi immediately nodding and Tazuna looking surprised before actually agreeing as well.

The two lit up like red lanterns and pushed each other away like the other contained diseases.

After Naruto was now sleeping peacefully on the dinner table, Inari just had to wake him up by crying and yelling like a little shit.

"Why do you guys bother to train so hard?!" He demanded in his high-pitched voice that made Shiru's eye twitch and her tongue click. "No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gatou's men!"

The little boy sniffed. "No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, when facing the strong; the weak will only end up getting killed!"

Shiru scoffed.

"Whatever kid..." Naruto drawled. "we're not like you."

"I'd hate to be like you! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy! What the hell do you know about me! I'm different from you! You're always clowning around and acting so cheerful, you don't know how hard life can be!"

Kakashi's eye widened in alarm at the killing intent that acted up as quick as it disappeared. His eye looking towards the two Uzumaki who sat side by side; both radiating a particularly dangerous aura.

"So it's okay for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry all day?" Naruto began, eerily calm.

"You will accomplish nothing with your life if you continue to be such a little shit." His cousin stated after, the other occupants in the room slightly unnerved by how in sync the two currently were.

"Just keep crying forever, you idiot! You little sissy!" Naruto growled, expression dangerous.

Inari was rendered silent as snot and tears ran down his face rather grossly.

The two Uzumaki were in perfect synchronization as they both stood up and exited the room.

* * *

Two things went through Shiru's mind.

One, was that Gatou was utterly irritating. The man was just outright annoying. He believed that a large number of talentless thugs was enough to protect him? Please.

Two, she would be allowed to kill the idiots protecting him without having to talk so goddamn much.

"Naruto, Sasuke, Shiru. You're to eliminate the thugs with the rest of the village whilst I deal with Gatou. Understood?" Kakashi ordered, his whole form serious.

The boys nodded whilst Shiru merely unstheathed her tachi.

"Go."

She blocked out the sound of the war cries from the people fighting, her eyes closed and her mind's eye opened. Swiftly and silently, she slaughtered those who were her enemies with her black blade; always going for the instant kill areas.

This fight couldn't be what you would call a real fight. They were thugs who barely knew how to handle a blade, it was like dealing with children. Even Sasuke and Naruto believed so, even if they didn't kill them like she had.

It was barely seven minutes when it was deemed obvious that the villagers and team seven had won. Gatou was easily dead.

People died much too easily.

The days were a blur to her, Tazuna had finally finished the goddamn bridge; and they were saying their goodbyes.

_'I really wish I could sleep.'_ She sighed outwardly, intentionally blocking out the obnoxious sound of her cousin's voice. _'I really wish I could just leave. These people...'_

* * *

Naruto flew out the window of his apartment, landing face first in the dirt below and scaring the shit out of passerby's. Tears leaked out of his eyes, terror was filling his veins.

The amount of killing intent his cousin was releasing was just...fucking terrifying.

All he did was buy some garlic. What was so wrong with that?

When team seven had to meet up for the morning, the tension in the air was almost tangible.

After their incredibly easy mission, Kakashi sensei noted how horrible their teamwork had been lately.

Shiru looked ready to kill. Sasuke was glaring at her for showing him up again. Naruto was doing the same to the Uchiha.

The copy-nin sighed. _'I have such a troublesome trio.'_

"You're the reason our teamwork's been suffering, Sasuke! Always hogging the spotlight, you bastard!" Naruto roared, fist clenched and shaking.

"That's you, moron." The Uchiha retorted with his back to the blonde, already on his way home. "If you want me to stop making you look bad..." He turned dramatically towards the Uzumaki boy. "just become stronger than me."

Shiru snorted, causing onyx eyes to immediately glare at her. "I should be saying the same thing to you." She pointed out, her cousin immediately snickering at Sasuke's expense.

"Yeah! You're still weak compared to Shiru-chan!" He laughed.

Sasuke's glare intensified, if that was even possible. "What does that make you?"

The redhead looked up at the bird in the sky, sighing once she realised that the day Orochimaru would be coming was soon. _'I really hope I can leave with the bastard. I'm nearly at my limit.'_ She frowned in annoyance, but kept her face out of her teammates' peripheal so they couldn't see.

"Okay, that's it for today. I have to go submit this mission report." Kakashi dismissed the bickering group.

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke bit out, turning around and beginning to walk off again.

Shiru began to walk home when she noticed a horrific example of a hiding spot. When the rock-coloured box with two holes came near her foot, she kicked it.

Naruto was surprised to see Konohamaru and his friends fall back after having the redhead kick their hiding spot. "Konohamaru? What's up with the goggles?"

After the three had stood up and brushed themselves off, not actually realising that Shiru was the one that kicked them; Konohamaru pointed dramatically at the blonde. "That's the man I see as my rival! Saw right through it! But anyways, we're copying the old you, bro!"

Shiru stared blankly at the three little kids. _'They're so...small.'_

"Ah..." Was all the Uzumaki boy said.

"What do you mean, ''Ah...''! You've been cold lately, bro!" The Hokage's grandson claimed loudly.

"So...what do you want?" Naruto inquired.

Moegi stepped forward whilst Konohamaru whispered to the one with the glasses. "Leader, are you free?" She asked innocently.

"Nope! I'm training!" Shiru's cousin declared.

"What?! But you said you'd play ninja with us!" One of them whined.

"Oh, yeah."

Shiru sighed. "What kind of idiot..." She felt like face palming.

"Hey bro, who's this girl?!" Konohamaru asked loudly, irking the girl he was referring to.

"Huh?" Blue eyes looked at his cousin. "Oh! This is Uzumaki Shiru. My cousin." He introduced with a strained smile.

The three of them looked at her in awe. "She's...really pretty." The redhead's eyes widened a fraction at the sentence that just came out of the Hokage's grandson's mouth.

"What?" She nearly snarled, her entire aura basically dropping to dangerous levels. Her cousin and his little friends froze.

"Run!" Naruto called, instantly sprinting off before he would be thrown somewhere again. At the command, the smaller kids followed.

Shiru clicked her tongue, her demeanour instantly calming and allowing her to fully register two possibly hostile chakra signatures in the direction Naruto and his little friends ran off to.

A sigh left her mouth. "Really?"

She was gone the next second.

Konahamaru ran into a solid form, rebounding off it and falling on his ass.

When he looked up, Temari and Kankuro looked condescendingly down at the small boy.

Kankuro lifted the brat up by his collar as Naruto called the kid's name. "That hurt, you little piece of shit!"

"Don't," His sister warned, "we'll get yelled at later."

"Hey fatass!" Naruto growled. "Let go of him!"

Kankuro glanced at the rowdy blonde, immediately noticing the leaf headband he wore. _'A leaf genin?'_

"Let's play a little before the boss comes." The sand nin suggested.

"Bastard!" The blonde charged.

And was knocked on his ass before he got to the boy with purple makeup.

"Oh...leaf genins are weak." Kankuro mocked.

Multiple bickerings past before the male sand nin was about to punch Konohamaru, but was promptly stopped by a rock thrown by a certain raven-haired ninja.

"What are you bastards doing in our village?" He inquired, throwing up a few unused rocks in his hand whilst he sat on a branch in a nearby tree.

Temari blushed at the sight of the boy._ 'He's pretty handsome.'_

Konohamaru ran to his friends whilst the sand nin were preoccupied.

"Ah...another guy who pisses me off."

The Uchiha frowned. "Get lost."

"Hey, punk. Get down here. I hate show offs like you the most." Kankuro began to take the bandaged object off from his back.

"Hey, you're even going to use Karasu?" Temari asked, a slight bit more worried than she was before.

Sasuke tensed at the voice behind him. "Kankuro, stop it."

On another branch on the same tree, a certain red-haired sand nin was standing upside down on the branch; his arms folded and his sea foam eyes cold as he stared at his siblings. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

_'When did he...?'_ Sasuke looked back at the sand nin, surprised that he hadn't noticed him; but soon narrowed his eyes in suspicion. _'That's Shiru or Kakashi level sneakiness.'_

"Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic. Why do you think we came to the leaf village?"

Kankuro attempted to explain himself. "Listen, Gaara. They started it and..."

"Shut up...I'll kill you." Gaara threatened.

The red-haired ninja's siblings threw their apologies at him, whilst Sasuke analysed the sand nin who disappeared in a whirl of sand and reappeared between his siblings.

"Looks like we got here too early, but we didn't come to play around." He stated in a monotone, his older brother lowly replying his understanding. "Let's go." He turned around, Gaara's eyes widened slightly at the sight of another red-haired ninja who leant against the fence with her arms crossed.

_'When did she get there?'_ He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion, but she seemed to be unphased by the intense stare; soon finding out that her emerald eyes clashed with his sea foam ones without fear.

"You're here for the Chuunin Exams?" She questioned him with an impassive tone, her voice surprising his siblings and teammates.

"Yes." Was his monosyllable reply.

Temari brought out her pass, letting Shiru glance at it before putting it away again.

Naruto looked confused. "The Chuunin Exams?" No one seemed to care about him at the moment though.

Sasuke appeared in a whirl of smoke in front of the sand siblings. "Hey you, what's your name?" He asked, looking directly at Gaara yet somehow Temari mistook him for asking her.

"Who, me?" She blushed, obviously flattered.

"No," He denied coldly, deflating her ego, "the one with the gourd."

The red-haired jinchuriki turned to face the Uchiha. "Gaara of the Desert. I'm also interested in you, your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." The smug smirk on his face made Shiru snort quietly to herself, unintentionally bringing attention back onto her.

"And yours?" Her eyes shifted to glance at Gaara. His cold eyes staring into her own.

"Uzumaki Shiru." She replied, her mind wondering why he was interested in hers. '_Perhaps I surprised him by appearing seemingly out of nowhere.'_

The redhead of the sand nodded once. "Let's go."

The three of them left before Naruto even had a chance to ask if anyone was interested in his name.

_'Heh, definitely getting interesting.'_ Sasuke thought smugly, a matching smirk plastered on his lips whilst his rival whispered to Konohamaru.

Shiru looked in the direction where she felt three familiar chakra signatures hidden up in the trees.

"So what do you think?" The male with the spiky hair asked the one sitting and who was also in bandages.

The leader of the trio's only eye shifted to lock eyes with their superior. "Shiru-sama is in the team just as Orochimaru-sama said. Keep an eye on the raven-haired one and the one with the gourd."

Their only female member gasped. "Shiru-sama? Is this why we haven't seen her with Orochimaru-sama lately?"

Dosu nodded. "Don't blow her cover. If we do, she won't be the only one who would want us dead."

* * *

**Reviews, please? It motivates me to put more effort into chapters.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Loving your support guys. Thank you. For those who read my other story, I'll try to have that up soon; but my muse for it has paused for a bit.  
**

**I hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget the poll. **

* * *

"Are you certain?" The third Hokage asked the silver-haired jounin with slightly narrowed eyes.

The copy-nin nodded impassively. "Yes. She is at least a chuunin from what I've seen, and I haven't seen too much of her abilities. Which says something." He informed the Hokage, his mind running back onto the times his redheaded genin was in action.

Hiruzen hummed, leaning back in his chair in thought as Kakashi continued. "She has mastered chakra control, and has told me that her father had passed on his knowledge to her when she was only young."

The Hokage's eyes widened. "Her father? An Uzumaki?" The nod he received made the gears in his head turn.

"He died, from what she says. She seems visibly troubled by that fact and doesn't elaborate further on it. From what I can tell, she is experienced in battle situations and has no problem killing others. She's also a sensor-type."

_'Poor girl must have had a rough life.'_ The old man thought solemnly. "Thank you for informing me, Kakashi. I'm sure that she's trustworthy, but keep an eye on her for me. She will be taking part in the Chuunin exams under your recommendation, so it will be easier to get a grasp of her abilities." He thanked girl's sensei, who nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen sighed, and thought back on the sets of bands tattooed onto the girl's wrists and ankles. He had seen them when they were patching the girl up, and the Uzumaki seal on her stomach. What they were for and what they represented confused many; but his thoughts was along the line of branding.

He really hoped that that the enigma known as Uzumaki Shiru was trustworthy.

* * *

Kakashi found his genin on the bridge where they frequently met up, the tension between them heavy as always. His eye shifted to the girl with the wild hair that was flowing softly in the wind.

Yet again, she was taunting the Uchiha who regularly threw kunai and other various weapons at her; but she shrugged them off.

Her intense eyes shifted up towards the top of the arch of the bridge where her sensei was currently crouching.

"Morning guys!" He greeted with an eye crinkle and a wave, muttering the excuse of being 'lost on the road of life.'

"Liar!" Naruto accused.

The silver-haired ninja jumped down and lande in front of the teen and preteens.

"This is sudden, but..." He started, "I've nominated you guys for the Chuunin Exam."

The blonde muttered something insulting whilst the two simply remained stoic.

"Here are your applications." He pulled out the said objects and handed them to the three genin.

Two smirks appeared on the faces of Sasuke and Shiru when the blonde Uzumaki tackled the jounin in a hug; flustering the latter.

"Kakashi-sensei! I love you!" He declared.

"Hey, stop...let go of me.."

After Naruto was off the jounin and now giggling at his application, the copy-nin began to explain. "This is just a nomination, though."

"Whether to take up the exam is up to each of you. Those who wish to take it should sign those papers and turn them in at room three-o-one by four pm tomorrow. That is all." He jumped away.

The trio walked together as Naruto chanted about the Chuunin Exams and how strong people will be there.

Blue eyes looked to the ravenhead beside the blonde, whilst onyx eyes looked to the redhead beside the Uchiha. Emerald eyes looked ahead impassively, the owner of the eye's head deep within thought.

_'He'll be there. They'll both be there. Team Dosu better not fuck up and reveal my cover otherwise we'll all murder them slowly.'_

* * *

"Hah! You plan to take the Chuunin Exam with that?! You should quit now. You're just a little kid."

"Please let us through..." A genin girl with brown hair in twin buns pleaded, before being backhanded by one of the chuunin guarding the door.

"Horrible..." Someone muttered.

"What did you say?" The chuunin with spiky hair asked. "Listen, this is our kindness. The Chuunin Exam isn't easy, even we have failed it three straight times. Those that take these exams end up quitting as shinobis, those that die during the exam, we've seen it all."

Team seven turned up just at the chuunin began the second part of his monologue. "And chuunins often become captains of military teams. The failure of a mission. The death of a comrade...that is all the captain's responsibility. Yet, kids like you think you can pass? We're just thinning out those that will fail anyways, what's wrong with that?"

"I agree but..." The Uchiha started, earning himself the attention of all in the room, "you will let us through, and also remove the genjutsu surrounding this place. We're going to the third floor."

The three of them ignored the mutterings of the random ninja around.

"So you noticed..."

Shiru rolled her eyes. "Anyone with a functioning brain should be able to know that this is the second floor."

"Yup!" Naruto agreed.

"Hm, not bad..." The spiky-haired chuunin began, Shiru already anticipating his movements.

"Attack him and I will cut you." The redhead's monotone voice caused the chuunin to freeze in his movements, surprised eyes shifting to the female Uzumaki. Her emerald eyes connected with the dull ones of the chuunin. "We have no time to deal with your shit, so let us through already."

Her threat was not ignored, as the two chuunin backed off upon realising the familiar look in the girl's eyes.

_'She's serious...'_

They released the genjutsu surrounding the area with a sigh.

That was when a certain Hyuuga approached team seven.

"Hey, you two."

Shiru and Sasuke glanced to their left, settling upon the form of one Hyuuga Neji.

"What're your names?" He asked with a slight smirk.

Naruto growled in the background. _'Dammit! Not them two again!'_

"When you want to learn names, you give yours out first." Sasuke retorted.

"You're both rookies, right? How old are you?" The Hyuuga continued.

"We don't have to answer you." Shiru stated, the two stoics of team seven turning and walking off together whilst the girl with the twin buns checked out the Uchiha.

Whilst hiding, Izumo and Kotetsu released the transformation over themselves as they looked at Kakashi's and Gai's team.

"So those are Kakashi's and Gai's prized pupils...they pass this unofficial first test." Izumo commented.

"Yeah...this exam is going to be fun." Kotetsu smirked dangerously.

"For us examiners too."

A sigh escaped the redhead when she noticed Rock Lee standing on one of the roofs nearby, ready to challenge the Uchiha.

"Hey! Guy with the dark eyes!" He called, earning their attention.

"What is it?" The Uchiha asked.

"Will you...fight me right here?"

"A fight right now?"

"Yes."

Rock Lee jumped off the roof and landed in front of the three other genin. "My name is Rock Lee." He introduced. "When you want to know a person's name, you give your own first, right?"

"Uchiha Sasuke...so, you know?" The Uchiha frowned slightly.

The genin in the green spandex moved into a combat position. "I want to fight you to test my skills...against the offspring of the genius ninja clan."

"Challenging me, knowing the Uchiha's name...frankly, you're a fool." The ravenhead glared darkly at Rock Lee. "You're about to learn...what this name means, thick brows."

Shiru clicked her tongue. "That Uchihas are full of hatred and superiority complexes?" She mocked, causing her cousin to ouright laugh and her dark-haired teammate to actually growl at her.

"Shut up." He snarled, annoyed by how unaffected she was.

"I'll say this," Rock Lee interrupted, "you guys cannot defeat me. Because right now I am the strongest leaf genin."

The redhead clicked her tongue again, placing her hand into her back pocket and pulling out one of her many books to read. "Just hurry up and lose, Uchiha. We're wasting time."

Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. _'She really has no confidence in me. I'll show them both, dammit.'_

Unfortunately for the young Uchiha, not only had he lost; but his stronger rival had predicted it and she wasn't even watching. He would've been seriously hurt if the damn tortoise didn't show up to stop the green spandex ninja.

Fortunately, he had gained the sharingan that didn't help him at all against a ninja whose only techniques were taijutsu. That further hurt his pride.

When Gai had turned up with a rather fabulous pose, all eyes were on him.

"Super thick..." Sasuke muttered, amazed.

"Those are incredible eyebrows. I've never seen that before." Naruto commented, although everyone knew it wasn't a compliment.

"Hey!" Rock Lee roared. "Stop insulting Gai-sensei!"

"Shut up!" The blonde roared right back. "All these freaks keep appearing! How are we meant to react?!"

"What did you..?!"

"Lee!" Gai called his most loyal disciple.

"Oh! Yes!"

The two boys of team seven did not expect the next thing to happen.

"YOU FOOL!" Gai sensei slammed a fist into Lee's face, causing him to fall over and onto the wooden floor.

Shiru was still reading by the time Gai and Lee finished with their eccentric interactions and the jounin looked over to Kakashi's team.

"Hey, you guys!" He called to the three genin. "How's Kakashi doing?"

The redhead's eyes narrowed. _'He's doing a swell job of being annoyingly suspicious of me. I already know the bastard went to talk to the Hokage.'_ The girl turned to look behind her just as Gai appeared to show off and say that he and the silver-haired jounin were 'Eternal Rivals', surprising the eccentric adult momentarily.

Sasuke, on the other hand was thoroughly shaken by Gai and his belief of being stronger than his sensei.

After the two green ninja had left, Naruto placed his hand behind his head.

"Gee, the Uchiha clan ain't worth much these days."

"Gu...shut up. Next time I'll beat him."

"Sure," Naruto replied sarcastically. "you just got your ass kicked and lost like Shiru-chan said."

The expression on the Uchiha's face was fierce.

"You saw his hand too, thick brows must've trained really hard, everyday. More than you. That's all it is."

Sasuke's hand shook for a few moments, before slowly relaxing.

"Pfft." His expression changed into a grin, causing the redhead to cringe slightly in disgust as the uncharacteristic expression.

_'His facial muscles must hurt right now.'_ She nearly had the urge to laugh.

"Ready to go? Naruto, Shiru!"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto fist pumped as his cousin put her book away.

"You have no idea..." The girl sighed to herself.

* * *

Kakashi praised his team for turning up together, and then watched them walk through the door; where they would begin the Chuunin Exams.

The two boys were amazed by how many people were actually there, all the occupants setting their eyes on the genin trio who just entered the room.

Shiru looked disinterested as she turned to glance at the incoming kunoichi who was about to jump at the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun! You're late!" The blonde girl named Ino exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around an annoyed Sasuke's neck.

_'What do they see in this stoic bastard?'_ The two Uzumaki cousins wondered simultaneously.

Shikamaru walked up to the three, lazed eyes glancing at his teammate. "You guys are taking this stupid test, too? Don't die..."

"Oh!" Naruto jumped. "The idiot trio!"

"Don't call us that!" Choji retorted.

"Man, this sucks." The Nara complained.

Ino glanced to the redhead, who leant against the wall and read a book. _'That's the girl called 'Akaoni'? She doesn't seem so scary.'_ She thought smugly.

The Yamanaka girl froze upon having emerald eyes glance up at her. A shiver ran down her spine as she gulped and turned her head away._ 'Okay, maybe she does.'_ The girl re-evaluated.

"Yahoo! Found you!"

Team seven and ten looked to the loud boy known as Kiba and his dog, Hinata and Shino on either side of him.

"H...Hello." The shy girl greeted.

"Well, well. Everyone is assembled." The Inuzuka commented, eyes glancing to the female Uzumaki. _'Damn, she's still hot.'_

"Geez, you guys too?" Shikamaru sighed.

"I see. All nine of this year's rookie genin are taking the exam. I wonder how far we'll get, eh Sasuke-kun?" Kiba grinned.

"Pfft, you seem confident Kiba." The Uchiha responded smugly.

"We did a lot of training, we won't lose to you."

"Shut up! Sasuke might, but I won't lose to you!" Naruto declared, pointing at the Inuzuka.

"Sorry, Naruto...Kiba didn't mean it that way." Hinata apologised shyly, looking down at her hands.

Shiru looked up when she felt the familiar chakra signature of Kabuto approach the group.

"Hey, you guys should be more quiet."

The rookie genin all turned to the white-haired boy with glasses.

"You guys are rookies just out of the academy, right? Screaming like school girls, geez. This isn't a picnic." He commented, annoying the leaf genin before him.

"Who do you think you are?" Ino demanded in annoyance.

"I'm Kabuto. But instead of that, look behind you." When they listened, he and Shiru made eye contact; many words spoken through their eyes.

_'You dog. I want to leave.'_

_'Haha, sorry Shiru-chan. You have to stay for a while longer.'_

_'Bastard.'_

"Those guys behind you are from hidden rain. They have short tempers." Kabuto stated, returning to look at the ninja the genin were. "Everyone is nervous about the exam, quiet down before you cause a scene."

The rookies looked back at the elder ninja. "Well, I can't blame you. You're clueless rookies. You remind me of how I used to be."

"This is your second time?" Naruto asked, placing his hands behind his head.

"No. My seventh time. The exam is held twice a year, so this is my fourth year. So I know a lot about this exam." He stated in a tone that almost sounded like he was bragging about failing.

"Wow, impressive." The blonde whistled.

"Hehe, then I'll share some info with you cute rookies." He pulled out the cards Shiru was used to seeing on his person. "With these nin-info cards..."

Shiru clicked her tongue as Kabuto conversed with the leaf genin, using his nin-cards to show off to them. She was about to go back to reading when she felt an overly familiar chakra signature.

"Onee-chan!"

Her hand instinctively stuck out, pressing against the forehead protector her sister wore before the smaller girl could hug her.

"Karin." The taller redhead acknowledged, the other genin looking at the two sisters.

"You're so mean, onee-chan! I've been worried and you-" The bespectacled girl was about to continue on before she caught sight of...

Uchiha Sasuke.

"Eeep!" She squealed, jumping away from Shiru's palm and gushing. "He's so handsome! Shiru-chan!"

"No."

"But onee-chaaaa-"

"No. Do not fall for someone as useless as him." Shiru narrowed her eyes at her little sister, ignoring the various amazed stares the pair pinned on them.

"What'd she say about Sasuke-kun?!" The Yamanaka demanded with a shaking fist.

"Shiru-chan has a sister?" Naruto blinked, thoroughly confused just as the rest of them were.

Sasuke looked between the two redheads, Shiru attempting to force the smaller one to not fall for him. He was sure she wasn't doing it for her sake, but he was secretly grateful; not that he'd ever admit it.

"She's from Kusagakure..." Ino noted after calming down. "Shiru-san came from there too, didn't she?"

"I'm ashamed to look at you." The taller redhead commented, looking away from her already lovestruck sister who was heartbroken by the comment. "Go back to your team already."

Karin sniffed. "But...onee-chan..."

"Just go back already." Shiru sighed, already feeling more tired than she currently was. "I'm not sorry I worried you, but I'm fine now. Just in Konohagakure."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. I love you, nee-chan." The smaller Uzumaki girl turned and walked back to her group somewhere in the crowd.

"That was cold, Shiru-chan!" Naruto frowned at his cousin, who seemed disinterested.

"Do I look like I care?" She retorted, expression wiped of emotion. "I'd rather not deal with another girl who falls for a guy without even getting to know him. Even if they knew he was an idiot and egotastic, they'd still like him because they're also idiots."

The Uchiha glared at Shiru for blatantly insulting him, but refrained from throwing weapons at her in front of everyone. Kabuto glanced between the two, a small smile upon his lips as he pushed up his glasses.

_'She's manipulating him...good job, Shiru-chan.'_

The white-haired medic glanced at team Dosu, who were looking slightly nervous._ 'They're dead anyways...fools don't know that Orochimaru-sama is just using them as guinea pigs.'_

"Alright, quiet down!"

In a puff of smoke, Morino Ibiki and a chuunin squad showed up.

"Thanks for waiting...I am Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the chuunin selection exam's first first." He introduced himself, using a smirk to intimidate the many genin before him. "We will now start the first test. Instead of your current seating arrangements, you will pick one of these tabs and sit in the seat assigned to you. We will then hand out the exams."

Naruto stilled for a moment.

Another moment.

"WHAT?! A PAPER TEST?!"

* * *

"Welcome to the stage for the second test, practice arena forty-four. Also known as; 'The Forest of Death'." Anko explained with a slightly sadistic grin.

Shiru stared blankly at the woman.

_'Orochimaru's last apprentice. I wonder how she'd feel if she knew he was here now.'_

Of course, Orochimaru was disguising himself as one of the more unattractive people. She could feel his veiled chakra as easily as she could smell the sweat of every damn genin in the place.

_'Oh, look.'_ The redhead clicked her tongue. _'There he is, in all his long-tongue glory. Bastard.'_

His eyes were a dull black compared to his vibrant gold when he glanced at his cute little apprentice, whose intense emerald eyes were already on him; narrowed in annoyance.

He felt himself chuckle inside. _'She must be annoyed by the leaf and their methods already. Poor thing.'_

The redhead didn't bother to listen to the woman known as Anko, since it was information she already knew.

Sasuke sat on the ground, giving a hard stare at the little hut that the genin went into to get their scrolls.

_'I see...so you can't tell which scroll or who on the team is carrying the scroll.'_ He analysed in thought._ 'It's as Ibiki said, in this test we'll be risking our lives for information. Everyone is an enemy.'_

Team seven were situated at gate twelve, Shiru smacking the blonde upside the head when he got too loud.

The moment the second test began, the redhead rushed forward; immediately leaving her team behind and reappearing at the closest tree to wait for them.

Team seven were about forty minutes into the the forest when they heard the first human scream.

"They're not near." Shiru assured her teammates, who glanced to her skeptically.

"How do you know?" The Uchiha asked with a frown.

"I'm a sensor type, idiot." She retorted, thoroughly unamused.

"I'm going to take a piss." Naruto randomly stated, moving towards the base of a tree to do what he just said.

"We're not alone, though." The redhead suddenly revealed, causing her teammates to freeze.

"Unlucky! You found me!"

The three of them turned to the direction of the voice, where a rain ninja with a mask revealed himself. "Which one of you has the scroll?!"

Shiru remained still as she let the Uchiha deal with the nin until the enemy had appeared behind the ravenhead's back.

_'Did he improve at all?'_

"Now this is lucky! Move and I'll kill yo-" The rain nin was unable to complete his sentence as he was mercilessly stabbed in the neck with a kunai, which dragged across and slit his throat; the blood splattering onto Sasuke's back.

The redhead removed her kunai, flicking the excess blood and letting the ninja before her choke and die.

"That was pathetic, Uchiha." She chided impassively, brushing past him as she placed her newly-cleaned kunai back in her pouch.

Sasuke glared at the back of his teammate. He was sick of her shit, but he couldn't do anything about it because...regrettably she is stronger.

All of them knew it, he doubted that even his sharingan would help against her; and she hadn't shown her the length of her skills before.

Half-an-hour later, the three sat in a triangle as Sasuke was discussing about being separated.

The Uzumaki girl was more interested in the way her master was hiding under the dirt and using a bamboo stick to breath. His chakra fluctuated slightly, telling her he was about to move.

"We have incoming." She informed her teammates, before disappearing from their sight as the great gust of wind took them by surprise.

"More enemies!?"

Sasuke hid under some bushes, immediately bringing out a kunai and holding it up when Shiru reappeared near him.

"Stay back! First, the codeword."

Emerald eyes bore into his. "'A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared.'" She recited with a sigh, letting the Uchiha relax.

When 'Naruto' came into the clearing, both of their eyes turned to him.

"Oww...you guys alright?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Wait, Naruto! The codeword!"

'Naruto' glanced at the redhead, whose hand twitched.

"Uh...um...I forgot the codeword..." The blonde laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and letting a bead of sweat run down his forehead.

The slightest of smirks appeared on his face when the Uchiha visibly relaxed. "You wouldn't be able to remember something that long because you're so stupid."

"I am not!"

"It's not him." Shiru stated, immediately throwing a kunai which her master dodged in a Naruto-like fashion.

"What the hell, Shiru-chan!" 'Naruto' demanded, glaring at the redhead.

Sasuke looked surprised, before realising that Shiru was a sensor-type. It would be easy for her to know who is who by chakra.

"Even if Sasuke here couldn't tell, I can." She explained impassively. "Your chakra signature is significantly different than my idiot of a cousin."

"Impressive..." 'Naruto' grinned dangerously, before transforming into his other disguise as a grass nin. "You want my earth scroll, right? Because you have the heaven scroll." He pulled out the scroll, and Shiru sighed at his notions for the dramatics.

The Uchiha's eyes widened at the sight of the long-tongued ninja swallowing the damn scroll.

"Now, let's begin...the battle for each other's scoll. With our lives on the line."

Sasuke's eyes widened in fear, the instantaneous images of his bloody death running through his head. He was too absorbed within his head to realise his teammate was perfectly fine. He dropped to his knees, throwing up all over the ground.

_'Genjutsu...? No...this is just fear. The killing intent in his eyes is causing us-'_ His eyes glanced to the redhead beside him, eyes widening even further upon realising her unphased form. _'What?! She's not affected at all!?'_

Orochimaru chuckled at the bewildered look in the Uchiha's eyes when he looked to his little apprentice.

Of course, the girl was immune to such. He was her teacher after all and her sense of fears are completely backwards. Finding garlic scarier than death was ludicrous.

_'I have to make her leave, otherwise she'll be forced to intervene with my plans with the Uchiha.'_ He was intrigued when his apprentice sliced the flesh of Sasuke's arm, surprising the young genin but otherwise erasing the fear with pain if only for a few seconds.

"Run." She ordered in her same monotone, the Uchiha immediately following through with her words in a panic.

Once they both knew they were truly alone, they locked eyes.

"I've missed you, Shiru-chan." The snake sannin purred, amused by the way her eyes narrowed.

"This better be worth it. These people are inefficient." She muttered in annoyance, before sighing. "Come along, Wakai."

A long, silver snake slithered into view out of Orochimaru's sleeve, slithering swiftly along the floor to the red-haired Uzumaki and wrapping itself around her arm.

"I suppose we'll hunt until you're done. Tell us when you are." At her master's nod, she was gone; making her way through the forest where hidden cameras were unable to find her.

_'I'm pleased to know that she hasn't gained unnecessary attachments.'_ Orochimaru flicked his tongue, following through with his plans for the Uchiha.

* * *

Shiru reappeared in front of a groveling Uchiha, who screamed in pain due to the new curse seal on his neck. She raised her left arm for Wakai to leave and go back to Orochimaru, before kneeling down before the Uchiha.

Naruto was sprawled out on one of the branches, unconscious.

The redhead blinked as the ravenhead entangled his fingers with hers in a painful grip, but made no move to break the contact. The Uzumaki girl ran her free hand through the Uchiha's hair soothingly as he went through the unbearable pain.

The moonlight was fading as dawn was about to approach, emerald eyes illuminated in the dark from a branch in the trees; her two unconscious teammates side by side just underneath her on the forest floor.

Her eyes shifted to team Dosu, who were hiding amongst the bushes.

They couldn't move to attack at daybreak, for they'd be slaughtered by her due to her cover as a leaf genin. She would have no qualms about it. She also wondered why the Hokage would let sound ninja participate if he knew it founded by Orochimaru.

The girl dropped down, landing in a crouch in front of the profusely sweating Uchiha. She ran a hand through his sweaty hair so his bangs were out of his forehead, but that was all she would do to accomodate him.

"You're so troublesome." She sighed.

"Wake him up, Shiru-sama." Dosu demanded after appearing a few metres away, the three instantly tensing at the look their superior gave them.

"You think you have the authority to boss me around, cur?" The killing intent rolled off of her in waves, and the three sound-nin before her shook at the images of their death. But as quick as it happened, the killing intent was gone and the redhead turned her head back towards her leaf genin team. "Do you even realise your purpose?"

Steam rose off the Uchiha, and that was when Shiru disappeared from their sight; leaving them with a cursed seal-wrapped Sasuke just now waking up to find the three sound-nin before him.

"Who...are you?" He asked the trio, a calm yet threatening tone to his slightly feral voice. The sound-nins' eyes widened at the sight of the cursed seal.

"We're here to kill you." Zaku stated confidently, unknowing of his fate.

"Is that so...? Where is Shiru?" Sasuke glanced up, to see the girl sitting on a branch near them; reading a book as casually as she always did. "Why didn't you deal with them?"

Emerald eyes shifted to connect with sharingan eyes. "I thought you'd want to deal with them." She merely replied, returning her attention back to her book.

The stoic redhead simply ignored the screams, the explosions, the insane laughter and the abnormal surge of chakra until the Uchiha had finally had his fit of power and killed all three of the sound-nin. His deranged eyes immediately darted to her, apparently not done yet.

_'The brat thinks he can defeat me now, does he?'_ She mused, closing her book and placing it back into her pouch.

"I feel great, Shiru...I feel powerful...I can defeat you now!" The raven-haired ninja was about to jump, but instead gasped as he was forced on his back and something hard impacted with his chest. Blood escaped his mouth as he adjusted his eyes to see what had landed on him.

His eyes widened when he realised his arms were pinned above his head, a hand pressing painfully against his chest and his female teammate straddling his waist. Her eyes glinted with something dangerous.

"You think that just because he gave you this power, you're immediately stronger than me, Uchiha?" She taunted, leaning closer to his face and letting her red locks brush against his cheeks as he growled up at her. "This power alone," her hand on his chest slid up to the curse mark on his neck, her touch causing him to squirm at the burning sensation, "isn't enough. You want to be an avenger? You're still weak. You want to beat me? Clear your head, first."

The marks on his body began to retreat back into the curse seal once his mind became clearer after a death staring contest, and he blinked a few times in confusion; not fully realising that the weight on him was his female teammate.

"Wha...what happened?" He questioned, onyx eyes looking up to lock with emerald ones. "What!?" The Uchiha's entire face went red, blood instinctively rushing to his lower regions due to the sudden surge of hormones. "Get off me!?"

Shiru snorted, releasing the innocent boy and standing up and walking towards the unconscious Uzumaki. "I'm surprised you can have a cute side after violently killing three people."

The ravenhead sat up abruptly, his eyes looking around to indeed find the bloodied remains of the sound nin; finally remembering what just went down.

He stared at the back of the female Uzumaki, suspicious of her. "Where were you when that guy attacked?"

Without missing a beat, she replied. "He sent a snake after me before I could get to you, and a whole lot of other shit happened so I happened to get an earth scroll while I was gone. When I came back, this idiot was unconscious and you were yelling in pain." She glanced over her shoulder and to him, "I'm not exactly sorry for leaving you both, but it would seem you've grown a little."

The Uchiha's mind reeled back to the image of the redhead on top of him, causing him to freeze at the sudden image and let more blood rush to his face. He shook his head violently. _'This is no time to be thinking of...of...what the hell! She's my rival!_

* * *

After Naruto had woken up and roared at his cousin for not being around, team seven had successfully passed the second part of the exam. Waiting and resting in the rooms for the genin who passed early.

"First off! For the second test, congratulations for passing!" The Hokage congratulated the genin.

The chuunin scanned the battered group, only a few free from dirt and injuries since they'd passed long before today.

Because of team Dosu's demise, Orochimaru had decided to disguise himself as a jounin for the grass-nin who seemed to pass after his help from the shadows. The three were all boys, the tallest one was at least sixteen with shaggy brown hair with a scarf hiding his lower face and green eyes. The middle one seemed to be only a few years younger, with spiky light blue hair and wore goggles over his black eyes. The last one was the youngest, at least twelve. He wore a hood over his black hair, and often seemed to be rather shy with one of his blue eyes bandaged up.

His eyes glanced to the Uchiha, who stood between Shiru and her apparent cousin.

The redhead ignored the voices around her, instead staring blankly ahead as she was lost in her thoughts of the past.

She glanced at Kabuto who stood next to her, and was currently conversing with her blonde teammate. His hand closest to her twitched multiple times.

_'Don't quit now. Proceed to chuunin.'_ Her eyes narrowed at the message, glancing up to Orochimaru who was again in another disguise.

"One of Orochimaru-sama's favourites...don't get too confident, kid." Yoroi frowned, glancing between the redhead and the white-haired ninja next to her.

Kabuto waved back at them as he left, just as Sasuke groaned and grasped his neck from beside Shiru.

"The waves of pain are becoming more frequent..." He muttered.

"Try not to use your sharingan too much then, it seems to feed off of your chakra." Shiru advised.

Of course, the first fight was Sasuke and Yoroi.

As the ones not fighting went to the upper level, Shiru was busy thinking of who here opponent would be and how to efficiently defeat them without raising too much suspicion.

_'There's too many people watching. I can't afford to raise any more than I already have.'_

The moment the Uchiha's seal began acting up, his mind went to his two teammates. Naruto was watching intently, whilst Shiru seemed thoroughly disinterested as she leant against the back wall with a book in her hand.

_'Dammit! Even now she won't look at me! I can't beat anyone if I can't...control this!'_ The marks retreated back into the curse seal; surprising Anko, Kakashi and the disguised Orochimaru.

"Winner of the first match! Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Yes!"

* * *

**Sasuke's a growing boy after all, how would you react if a girl was straddling you and pinning your arms above your head? Pfft.  
**

**Hope you enjoyed, please review for me. They are an author's life source to continue on!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys. It's the holidays and I'm in Brisbane for a week with my uncle. I've been wanting to get this out earlier, but then I realised I skipped waaaay too far in the first draft of this chapter. So I changed it. Also, I didn't bother to read through and make sure there aren't a lot of spelling errors, because I've got something to do real soon. Thanks for the support, lovelies. **

**I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Shiru hadn't paid attention to any of the battles unless it involved the grass-nin whom she had no information on.

The second fight was between Sabishi and Aburame Shino. Sabishi was the youngest one with the hood and bandage over his eye. He wasn't that impressive, ninjutsu seemed to be his strength; but Shino and his bugs seemed to be too much of a problem and the kid forfeited. He was also too shy to actually hurt the Aburame kid.

The fourth fight was between Tori and Yamanaka Ino. He was the middle one, with blue hair and the goggles. The boy had no problem hitting a girl, which was bad for Ino since her taijutsu skills weren't on par with his and she was promptly knocked out within a few minutes. He was fast and his hits were strong enough to crack the ground, but that was all he showed.

The sixth fight was between Sukafu and Nara Shikamaru. The redhead had a feeling it wasn't his real name. Who names their kid; 'Scarf'? Then again, she was named 'Seal'. The two of them were both intelligent, and the battle dragged on longer than the both of them liked; with Sukafu forfeiting and saying that he was bored.

The only one passing seemed to have been Tori.

After an eventful match between Gaara and Lee, it was finally her turn.

Her name was revealed on the large board.

_'Uzumaki Shiru vs. Akimichi Choji'_

"Alright, the last two competitors step forward!"

The redhead remained stoic as she body flickered from her spot to the arena below, ignoring the damaged ground below her.

Team Asuma looked to Choji's opponent then to Choji himself, who looked discouraged.

"Can't I just forfeit? Uzumaki-san is scary..." He mumbled. No one noticed the way Shiru's ear twitched, indicating she heard that as she turned to glance up at him with a particularly irritated look.

_'You better forfeit. Forfeit so I don't have to reveal shit and still get through.'_ She growled inwardly, her eyes shifting to his teammates who she knew was going to encourage him.

"I'll treat you to food if you win." Asuma bribed, immediately seeing the way the Akimichi perked up.

"Alright! Here I go!"

Shiru stared impassively at her opponent before her, ignoring the shouts of encouragement from her cousin.

"You can do it!" Shikamaru cheered.

"Fatass!" Ino taunted, knowing that it'd piss the boy in front of her off. It did, and the redhead sighed.

"Those guys better watch it! I'll finish this match quickly and tear them up!" He growled, ignorant to the click of his opponent's tongue.

"Don't you dare underestimate Shiru-chan, you fatass!" Naruto roared, hanging off the railing as he threw around his fist. This further pissed off the Akimichi boy.

"Uhm...well, then! Tenth match begin!"

Shiru wasted no time in body flickering behind the boy before he could react and knocked him out. The girl released a sigh as his teammates went into an uproar.

"WHAT?! But the match just started!" Ino exclaimed loudly, shocked.

"And it ended just as quickly. I have no need to reveal any more of my abilities." The redhead stated blandly, moving back to her team's side just as Hayate declared her the winner.

"Way to go, Shiru-chan! We all passed! We all passed!" Naruto jumped up and down in glee.

The stoic Uzumaki locked eyes with a certain redhead across the room, both eyes unreadable yet equally threatening.

"She's fast, you've got to admit." Temari consented, Kankuro nodding in agreement.

Gaara remained silent as he had a staring contest with the fellow redhead, eyes unreadable.

"With this, the preliminary trials for round three is complete!" Hayate announced.

The winners of the preliminary rounds stood in a row in front of the Hokage and the many chuunin and jounin.

As per usual, Shiru blanked out and into her thoughts as the Hokage muttered about the Chuunin Exams.

* * *

"The prelims have ended, and they will begin the finals." Kabuto informed his master, who leaned against a pillar.

"Shiru-chan passed, yes?" The snake sannin questioned even though he knew the answer.

"Of course." Kabuto smiled, standing up and pushing up his glasses. "She wasted no time in knocking out her opponent and not revealing anything other than her speed."

"Mmm. My poor little apprentice has had enough of the village that has become too accustomed to peace." He chuckled along with the white-haired medic.

"She was thoroughly displeased with the mission to the land of Waves. It raised Hatake Kakashi's suspicions and he has reported it to the Hokage. We could take it now and as an added bonus; not make Shiru-chan angry at us." Orochimaru's spy suggested with a secretive smile.

"I'm not sure taking the head of that geezer would be much fun...and seeing Shiru-chan's annoyed face is just so cute. She repulses them as much as I do for their sentiments." Orochimaru replied a smirk, the image of his little apprentice's face morphed into an expression of annoyance was simply amusing.

"You seem hesitant to act..." Kabuto responded, immediately earning himself a hard stare. "From now on, the various hidden villages will fight against each other in a long and intense battle. Hidden Sound is also one of them. You intend to become the trigger of all this, and he's the bullet for that purpose, right? Uchiha Sasuke-kun, was it?"

"Hehe...you're so intuitive that it's scary. "

"Not really," the medic denied, "I didn't know about Zaku, Dosu and Kin after all. As part of my assignment on gather information on Sasuke-kun, I wanted to know the powers of the three sound nin. Unfortunately, Shiru wouldn't appreciate the drama so I couldn't test out their abilities. It would've been foolish of me if I did, anyway."

There was a moment of silence.

"You still don't fully trust me yet, it seems."

"Was there even a necessity to tell you, my right hand man, something as insignificant as those three? That is the proof of my trust." The snake assured. "It seems that the curse mark I implanted on Sasuke-kun was sealed up by Kakashi...well, not that it'll have any affect, of course. As long as the 'darkness' in his heart doesn't disappear, which is unlikely because of Shiru-chan's influence, he'll come to us. She'll need help."

"You make it sound as if there's something in the way."

"There was something that bothered me a little." He replied.

"Is it...Uzumaki Naruto?"

_'Heh, such a clever child.'_ Orochimaru smirked. "Sasuke who lives for the sole purpose of killing his brother, Itachi in revenge. He's a child who will never die until he's achieved that goal. Yet, when he fought me; he came at me without fear of death even though he knew he wouldn't be able to defeat me. I didn't think he was a child to rush to die like that." He explained, frowning slightly. "According to your data, it looks as if his contact with the nine tails boy is changing some of his heart and goals. We need Shiru-chan to tear a rift between the two, and make sure her 'cousin' isn't able to influence Sasuke-kun to divert his goals of revenge. I'm sure she's capable of doing that, but she can only stay undercover for so long."

"Well, then..." The sannin's right-hand man began to walk away. "I'll be sure to inform Shiru-chan of your plans. How do you want her to further influence him?"

The snake hummed in thought. "She's already under his skin, she'll need to leave soon or her cover will be blown and I can't have my apprentice in their hands. Get her closer to him, make sure that the nine tails boy can't influence him any further unless it's to darken his heart. Tell her to make him leave as soon as possible."

Kabuto's lips quirked up. "Will she be leaving with us after the invasion?"

"If she can convince Sasuke to leave at that time, yes."

A dangerous, almost deranged look formed on the young medic's face as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Uzumaki Shiru.

Black eyes glanced to the girl who'd be his opponent. Her hair was spiky and messy, but she had nice eyes. If she wasn't looking at you.

The grass-nin gulped at the uncomfortable stare she gave him. She looked irritated.

_'Heh. How cute. If she took more care of her hair she'd be very attractive. It'll be a shame to defeat her.'_ Tori smugly thought, winking at her through his goggles. Her eyes narrowed, forcing him to chuckle nervously and look away.

_'He's underestimating me.'_ Shiru analysed, the corner of her lips twitching in amusement. _'That's fine. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him during the month to see if he has any other talents than taijutsu.'_

When Naruto got home that night, his cousin was nowhere to be found. The blonde shrugged. It wasn't unusual for her to be out, she doesn't sleep and staying in her room all night can be suffocating.

What was unusual, was the encounter she had with a certain sand-nin.

The two redheads stared at each other for the longest time.

"What do you want?" Gaara finally asked, eyes narrowing just a fraction as the girl before him sighed.

"You're sitting in my spot." She replied, glancing up at the moon. The two of them were situated upon the large metal fish that decorated one of the many roofs of the village. Instead of asking the boy to leave, she sat down a good distance away from him and stared up at the moon whereas he had his back to it.

The two remained in silence for over two hours, letting the tension build on the sand-nin's side.

"Do you not sleep?" He nearly growled, the demon within him becoming impatient with the full moon out. _'She's been here for two hours.'_

"I don't." She merely replied, surprising the boy slightly. "I can't."

He didn't reply after that.

Even as the sun began to rise, the two had stayed in each other's silent company.

"It's time for me to go." Shiru stated as the sun was fully in view, causing eyes to land on her as she stood up and had her back to him. "Goodbye."

Sea foam eyes stared at the spot she had occupied.

And continued to occupy. The next night, it was the same.

She would appear, sit and remain silent for the entire night until the sun came up.

Gaara was rigid the entire time, unable to relax for fear that she would be waiting for his guard to come down. Eventually though, he began to relax slightly in her presence after realising that her intentions were not malicious.

The red-haired Uzumaki was a stoic girl, she rarely spoke to him; but what confused him more was her blatant disregard of his presence. She neither feared nor hated him, for if she did; she wouldn't be there every night.

The situation repeated itself for a week, before Gaara finally had enough of their silent company and decided to interrogate her.

"Why do you come here every night, knowing that I am here?" He frowned at her, their eyes once again locking in an unreadable staring contest. "Do you not fear me?"

His eyes didn't miss the upwards twitch of her lips. "I told you, this is my spot. Your presence doesn't bother me." She replied, breaking the eye contact by blinking and turning her gaze back onto the moon; the boy across from her surprised by her response. Unfortunately, the response made him narrow his eyes dangerously; killing intent leaking from his form.

"Are you insulting my existence?" He growled, a dark look in his eyes. When she glanced back at him, she tilted her head to better look at him.

"I find your existence..." She trailed off in thought of a word, further irritating the red-haired jinchuriki. "Lonely."

His eyes widened at her, his guard dropping and his killing intent gone as he registered what she had said.

"It's better to be alone, isn't it?" The redhead sighed, looking down at the surface she was sitting on; knowing that Gaara's eyes were intently on her. "It's better to fight for only yourself, to care about only yourself. You don't get hurt that way." The slightest of pained expressions crossed her features, before it was gone. But the keen-eyed sand-nin was perceptive. "Friends...family. There's no point. They'll leave you in the end."

The male redhead was speechless as she looked up to the sky, a cloudy look in her eyes. She was hurting, he knew. Why? Because that was his expression once. Before it was taken over by the stoic face, something that the two seemed to have in common.

Her expression soon became more hostile, albeit a subtle change. The more noticeable change was the tense air around her. "You get attached to someone, you care about them. You trust them with all your heart, and what do they do? They betray you in the worst sense possible."

Gaara's mind reeled back to his uncle, but the memory was so traumatising that he began to hold his head as it throbbed; a groan escaping him.

She had stayed silent until he was finally able to regain his composure.

"You're like me." He muttered softly, glancing up to her. He didn't know how he should react around someone who was so alike him, who was so similar in their sense of beliefs. Instead, he chuckled in a slightly deranged way. "You're like me." Gaara repeated.

"I'm like you." She sighed softly. Her guard instantly went up when he suddenly appeared in front of her, getting a little too close into her face as he leaned forward with a twitchy grin.

"Like me." He breathed, reaching out to touch her. The girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the hand reaching for her, but otherwise made no move. The moment she deemed the situation hostile, she would react then. Shiru could hardly feel the cold fingertips brushing against her cheek, but the dull sensation was there. The experimentations had rendered her immune to temperatures, but had allowed her to keep the dull sensations whenever something was physically touching her. That didn't mean she couldn't feel pain when she was hurt.

Gaara was fascinated with her, his demeanour already slipped of their cool and stoic nature; but more to a deranged but child-like one. No one he knew held the same ideals. Hardly anyone could look at him and not shake in fear or be comfortable in his presence. He grasped a bunch of her hair in his hands tightly, but not pulling on it harshly. Her eyes seemed to glow against the darkness as she stared at him.

Directly into his eyes without fear, without disdain or malice. There was nothing but guarded suspicion. He didn't know what he was doing. Her skin was warm against his fingers, a foreign sensation that he had never felt; scaring him yet fascinating him. He wanted more, more of that warmth she gave off.

There was something deep down within him, something that wanted to keep her as if she was a rare toy that no one else had. The battered-down longing to not be alone.

She had a name...

"Shiru..." He whispered, chuckling strangely at the way it sounded coming from him. Her hand immediately grabbed his wrist when he suddenly cupped her face roughly and tilted her head up to further look at him. "Mine."

Shiru's eyes widened, her grip loosening slightly._ 'What?'_

The hand he was using to hold her hair moved to cup her other cheek as he began to laugh insanely. "Nobody can have you. Nobody. Mine."

_'I knew there was something wrong with his psyche.'_ The girl thought, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Why?" She simply asked. So what if they had similar ideals, how did that make her his?

"Why? Because." He replied, his eyes narrowing dangerously as if daring her to defy him. His toy wasn't meant to do that. It reminded her that he was still a child.

That's when it clicked in the female redhead's mind. _'The longing to no longer be alone has manifested itself to this upon realising that his beliefs were shared. How deranged.'_

Sighing, the Uzumaki girl raised the hand she had around his wrist and began to reach forward to his face. He immediately flinched, but she kept going.

"So be it." She stated, deciding to go with the flow. As she brushed her thumb over his kanji symbol, he scrunched his left eye and shivered slightly at the contact of her fingers. Her eyes were unreadable as she wondered where this predicament would lead to. _'One thing I will not do is give him the advantage over me. He shall have his thoughts of me belonging to him, but I will not be controlled.'_

* * *

After that little event, the jinchuriki seemed to revert into a somewhat deranged child-persona; something Shiru found rather interesting. _'His childhood was taken from him...perhaps that is why he is acting like this.'_ The girl mused as he played with her hair in the slightly rough manner._ 'It's certainly strange. Does he believe that he has control over me and that is why he is letting himself do that exact opposite of his beliefs? I can't understand how his mind works in that particular sense. No...I get it now. I'm a special toy to him.'_

Upon that realisation, her eyes narrowed considerably at the moon. Another week had past.

Despite the strange event of the jinchuriki behind her, nothing too much had happened yet. She was forced to stay away from Jiraiya, who was currently in town and because of his damned habit of following her master; and she would rather not take the chance of him recognising her even if it may seem unlikely.

Tori was currently working on his speed to work with his taijutsu, possibly taking in the fact that his opponent was significantly faster. Unfortunately, his stamina was rather limited. All she'd need to do is to wear him out and then knock him out. Using her superior speed and stamina, it would be easy.

Frankly, using the same technique of immediately knocking her opponent out wasn't recommended in this situation. The grass-nin was trained to rely on reflexes and his body, he'd realise if someone was behind him and would be able to react in time. She would be capable of doing that without much trouble, but that was the point. Knocking out Choji, who wasn't fast and was rather limited on his abilities was plausible. Someone with significantly better reaction time would raise more suspicion already, something she didn't need.

Her thoughts were thrown away as her hair was roughly tugged on, forcing her to lean back and into the lap of a certain male redhead; her eyes glaring at the face above her. He was glaring lethally at her as well, the two again locked in a staring contest. It seemed to be a thing between them now.

"You weren't listening." He seethed, his deep voice throwing off the slightly childish-demeanour he recently had around her. "You're meant to listen to me, Shiru."

The girl sighed. "What?"

"I'm going to kill your teammate." The boy repeated, lips forming into a smirk. His fingers almost desperately brushed against her cheeks, the sensation of human warmth was almost overwhelming.

Her eyes stared back blankly at him, a reaction he expected. "Perhaps. Perhaps not." She replied, eyes narrowing at the way his sand threateningly seeped out of his gourd. "I'm not going to lie to ease your whims, Gaara." The redheaded girl stated boldly, causing the sand-nin to chuckle darkly at her.

"Mine..." He muttered, apparently forgetting their conversation and going back to his morbid fascination of the girl in his lap. She was like a doll. His doll.

Shiru sighed again, as if she were dealing with a child. She was; a slightly mentally unstable one as well. She noticed how he would follow her when she would leave when the sun rose, he was becoming a tad obsessive with her; something she didn't need. Despite not caring what was to happen with her cousin and Gaara, the girl had hoped the blonde idiot would be able to snap him out of his general insanity. It would be troublesome to have something like this mess up everything.

The boy was desperate for the warmth, the feel of another human; if the way he had continuously touched her face was an indicator. Always treated like a disease, he's probably never had anyone so much as poke him.

"Gaara." She spoke softly, gaining his attention as he was playing with her fingers. His eyes were...mixed with emotions. There was fear, excitement, suspicion, fascination...what a strange boy. The female redhead reached forward, ignoring how rigid and tense he became. He was the one who touched her, rarely the other way around. The boy flinched as her fingers brushed against his cheek, but there was that feeling. That warmth. He leaned towards it.

"I wonder...do you know what a hug is?" His frown of confusion answered her question. "I see."

He stared. She stared. She was making no move to show him just what a hug was.

"Show me." He ordered, sand wrapping around her wrist and forming into a hand.

"No." Shiru denied, bored eyes staring into his annoyingly curious ones. "I don't do hugs. Go ask someone else."

"Show me, woman." Gaara growled, his nail cutting the flesh just under her jaw. She didn't flinch. "I will not hesitate to force you."

The girl clicked her tongue, her eyes shifted momentarily to the streets below her; something convenient within her sights. "You see those two down there?"

The jinchuriki's eyes shifted to where she was looking, finding two people (a man and a woman) close together with their arms wrapped around the other.

"That is a hug." She clarified. "Now get your sand off me, I showed you."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but reluctantly removed his sand. "Why do people hug?"

"Perhaps it's a show of affection, familiarity with one another." The Uzumaki girl explained, a sigh escaping her mouth; something he was currently staring intently at as he registered her words.

"I see."

His hands dropped from her face, the cold immediately returning to his fingers. She stared at him.

"Why do you not fear me? Why do you not hate me? Am I not a monster to you?" Gaara abruptly bombarded her with questions, standing up and backing away.

Cool emerald eyes never looked away, not even when he started to become hostile. "I have a strange collection of fears, death is not one of them. People fear you because they feel unsafe, because they believe you are a monster that will definitely kill them."

"And I would." He interjected, giving her a hard stare.

Shiru shrugged. "I don't care. What I think you are has nothing to do with what you really are. Unless you get in my way, I won't care what you do. I feel that hate is too much energy. It can consume us and destroy us, and that's just letting it control us. You've never done something to insult me directly, I don't hate without a reason. We may not think of each other as friends, as allies, but it's undeniable that we are curious of each other."

The girl stood as the sun began to rise. "Perhaps I don't make sense, but that's what I feel. Goodbye."

* * *

On the day of the final round of the Chuunin Exams, the competitors all stood in a row to face the crowd; with the exception of the Uchiha and female Uzumaki.

The blonde looked around. _'Where's Sasuke and Shiru-chan?'_

"Hey, stop looking around and face the customers. In this tournament, you guys are the main stars."

Naruto was scared out his wits when his cousin suddenly appeared out of nowhere beside him.

"GAH! When did you get there?!"

"Thanks everyone for coming to the hidden Leaf Chuunin Exams!" The Hokage declared, earning everyone's attention. "We will now start, the main tournament matches between the ten participants who made it through the preliminaries. Please stay and watch until the end!"

Shiru leaned against the wall as she waited for her turn, reading a book and pointedly ignoring the looks she was receiving from a certain redhead not too far away. It reminded her of a spiteful child who was annoyed. That's probably what he was anyway.

Time seemed to finally pass enough for it to be her turn.

"Finally, my turn!" The blue-haired nin laughed as he jumped over the railing and down to the arena, where his opponent was already waiting. _'Shit, still can't get over her speed. Good thing I've been improving on that in the past month.'_

Emerald eyes analysed the hyped up boy in front of her. _'Is he smart enough to change plans once he figures out I'm wearing him down by simply dodging?'_

"You kick his ass, Shiru-chan!" Naruto cheered.

"Don't worry girlie, I'll go easy on you." Tori winked at her as the proctor stood in the middle but not in the way of crossfire. The girl before him simply clicked her tongue, before glancing up to the waiting area and seeing the rest of her team show up.

"Teme! You're late!"

"We're not disqualified, are we?" Kakashi asked sheepishly.

"It's been postponed to the last match!" The examiner stated, causing the silver-haired jounin to relax.

Shiru cut out their voices and focused in on the boy with blue hair and goggles.

"Alright, then...begin!"

Tori charged forward with good speed, readying his arm for a punch as his opponent stared at him.

When he was close enough to hit her, he missed as she suddenly disappeared in a blur; confusing the blue-haired boy. "Huh?"

The girl reappeared behind him, and he immediately went for a kick; but she merely dodged it.

He continued on with a barrage of punches and kicks, but she kept on dodging and moving around.

"She's wearing him out." Kurenai noted from her spot in the audience. Asuma, who stood beside her, nodded in agreement.

"It seems that she's only using her speed because it's the only thing she revealed in the last match. She knows that Tori specialises in taijutsu and is using that to wear him out. But if that's so, she must think that she has greater stamina than him; otherwise the plan isn't going to work out." He analysed, watching as the grass-nin was panting as he leant on his knees and Shiru standing a few metres in front of him without a bead of sweat.

"Why don't you stand still, dammit!" Tori demanded, running forward and doing a midair kick. _'The bitch dodged again!'_

"All she's doing is dodging. Why?" Naruto frowned, confused. The two geniuses beside him snorted.

"She's obviously tiring him out." Sasuke answered, staring intently at the redhead. Would he be stronger now, after all the training he did?

"She's probably not attacking so she doesn't reveal all her techniques." Shikamaru commented after.

"Maaan, she always makes things so boring." Her cousin moaned.

After a few minutes more, the crowd began to become restless; yelling their displeasure and telling the blue-haired kid to hurry up.

Unfortunately, Tori was on the verge of exhaustion. He'd blindly used multiple combos and continued to attempt to hit her without a change of plan, which greatly affected him since his stamina wasn't that great.

He was on his knees, panting heavily and sweating horribly.

"Do you give up?" Shiru questioned impassively.

"Like..." He panted. "hell...I will!" He brought a kunai and threw it at her as he pushed himself off of the ground.

The redhead simply tilted her head to the side, dodging the weapon and remaining in her position until he was close enough. The boy roared as he lifted his fist, his speed and strength drained.

Then his body was thrown back at the force of the punch he received to the face. His body flew through the air before landing in tumbles and kicking up dirt.

When the examiner went to check on him when he wasn't moving, his eyes widened at the damage a single punch did to the kid's face. He was thoroughly knocked out.

"Winner! Uzumaki Shiru!"

The crowd was silent for a moment, registering what just happened.

"I...I didn't even see it! What happened!" A random person amongst the crowd demanded.

Soon, there was an uproar about how the match was boring and then suddenly having it end like that without them even seeing.

"Not that I care." Shiru muttered, leaning against the wall where the other participants were at. _'I don't fight for your pleasure.'_

* * *

Shiru glanced down at the two snakes slithering up to her, one was the recognisable silver that was Wakai. The other was a dark crimson, being even longer than his brother. That was Orudo.

She willingly let them slither up onto her shoulders, their bodies wrapping around her shoulders as they affectionately nudged her head. Orudo hissed softly, informing his master of the news he was meant to deliver.

The redhead's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're saying I did this useless exam for nothing, then?" She muttered, her eyes absent-mindedly staring at the fight between a deranged Gaara and Sasuke.

_'So they want me to convince him to come with them now. Fine. Now that Wakai and Orudo showed themselves anyways, I can't stay. I can already feel Kakashi's heated stare.'_

The feathers began to fall from the sky, and that's when Shiru closed her eyes.

The invasion begins now.

She purposefully avoided any of the leaf-nin as she followed after Sasuke, his chakra signature fluctuated and a bright beacon to her. Wakai and Orudo hung onto her, the two hissing in annoyance at each other. The two always bickered.

Kakashi searched the area as he killed another sound-nin, no sign of his female teammate. He saw Sasuke leave to follow after Gaara, but she seemed to have suddenly disappeared. His eyes narrowed as he thought more about the redhead.

The two snakes had come to her, and she had conversed with them. Snakes...snakes automatically meant Orochimaru, or Anko. But Anko has never interacted with the redhead before.

_'Dammit!'_ He growled inwardly, dodging an attack from his left. _'I should've seen the hints!'_ If she worked for the snake sannin, that meant that she was after Sasuke._ 'Shit!'_

Sakura, the pink-haired girl who would've been his student if it weren't for Shiru's higher score, shrunk back into her seat in terror; apparently having been able to dispel the genjutsu. As far as he knew, she worked in the medical program.

"Haruno-san!" The copy-nin called, blocking an attack. The girl abruptly snapped her head in his direction. "Wake Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun up!"

The pinkette awkwardly made her way to the blonde Uzumaki, her life protected by the silver-haired jounin and his 'Eternal Rival'.

Once she did, Kakashi appeared in front of them. "I'm giving you guys an A-ranked mission." He stated, summoning Pakkun in front of the three.

She screamed when a ninja appeared behind Naruto, and screamed even more when Gai blasted a hole through the cement wall with the guy's body. Shikamaru cringed away from the girl.

"Are you guys listening? Once you've heard the mission, escape through that hole. Chase after Sasuke, join with him and stop him. Then take him away to a safe location. Haruno-san will be the assigned medic." He ordered with a seriousness that unnerved the three of them. "And...keep an eye out for Shiru. She may have been a spy for Orochimaru all along."

Naruto stared wide-eyed at Kakashi, before growling angrily at his sensei. "What the hell are you saying, Kakashi-sensei! Shiru-chan's not a spy! She's our friend!" He defended his cousin, refusing to believe that his cousin of all people was a bad guy.

"Naruto." The sharp tone in the copy-nin's voice made him flinch, he tensed under the hard stare his sensei gave. "Don't let your emotions get the better of you. If you find her, stay away from her. She's completely out of your league."

The blonde was conflicted, but he wasn't allowed to dwell anymore as he was forced out of the hole with the four-man team he was assigned to.

He was increasingly lost in his thoughts as they chased after Sasuke. _'They made a mistake. Shiru-chan would never betray them. They...they were family, right? She wouldn't...'_

* * *

Emerald eyes watched the situation in front of her unfold, Shiru was hiding amongst the trees; waiting for the right time to make her appearance to the Uchiha.

_'I have to get him to leave today.'_ She frowned, glancing to the pinkette who was currently pinned to a tree by Gaara's sand. _'I hadn't expected her to show up.'_

She commended Naruto, for his strength and will to go on. Even if she no longer bonded with people, there was an understanding as to why he as so adamant to protect his comrades.

_'I used to be like that...'_ She thought wistfully, her heart clenched in pain. The girl was thrown out of thoughts when the fight between the two jinchuriki took on a bigger scale. _'Now.'_

The redhead appeared in front of a bewildered Sasuke, whose eyes widened with fear if only for a second; before calming down upon realising it was her.

"Dammit...Shiru." He coughed, holding his arm as he glared at her. "Where have you been?"

"I've been here the entire time." She admitted truthfully, her eyes boring into his now surprised ones. "Naruto has gotten stronger, hasn't he?" The female Uzumaki turned to look back at her cousin who was fighting. Onyx eyes followed her line of vision.

Jealousy wrapped around his heart as he watched. _'This fight is incredible...'_

"You're never going to be that strong." His eyes immediately darted towards the redhead, fury welling up within him as she seemed unaffected as ever. Her eyes shifted to lock onto his. "If you stay here."

Again, his eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Shiru crouched down to him, leaning close into his face with an unwavering stare. It made him uncomfortable. "You want to become stronger, right? Stronger than Naruto, stronger than me? Come with me."

"What the hell are you going on about?!" He demanded, leaning back.

"I am not a leaf-nin." The redhead stated, her ear twitching as the giant fight behind her went on. "I never was. The entire reason I came to Konohagakure...was for you."

Sasuke froze._ 'What?'_ What the hell did she mean she came here for him?

"I am Orochimaru's apprentice."

"What?!"

"I was assigned here to influence you to come to him. You will never be powerful if you stay here. You know it, don't you?" She tilted her head as he registered the information, eyes glancing to the giant toad.

"Sever the ties from this village. From Naruto. If you wish to come with me, then decide now." She moved to stand up, and then began to slowly walk off. His mind swirled with indecision as he was given a very short time limit.

_'Abandon the leaf...? And Naruto?'_ The Uchiha stared at the toad again. His eyes narrowed darkly. _'I don't need to choose.'_ He stood, slowly and walked towards the redhead; who stopped and waited for him.

Who was he leaving behind? Kakashi and Naruto, but they would only hold him back...right?

"You've decided, then." Shiru stated more than questioned, staring at Sasuke, who stared back with fierce determination.

"I have a goal, and I will become stronger no matter what to fulfill it." He replied with a resolute tone, making her smile slightly. It made him note that she looked more feminine when she did so. That was involuntary, so he shook his head roughly as she began to leave. _'Idiot. I'm an idiot.'_

"Coming?"

He and Shiru disappeared just as Naruto defeated Gaara.

Pakkun looked around frantically, the sudden disappearance of Sasuke's scent making him worry.

_'Could it be that Shiru has already taken him?'_

Kakashi wasn't going to like this.

* * *

**And so, we conclude that the Uchiha is now on the dark side a lot sooner than planned. Now, I wanted to sort of clarify Gaara's abnormal behaviour towards Shiru.  
**

**Gaara is a complicated mofo, and this is my interpretation of him if he were to meet somebody like Shiru. He's a child who longs for acceptance, but it's buried deep down. I doubt anyone's so much as touched his hair, so human warmth is something I felt would fascinate him. I would've made the two hug, but Shiru isn't a hugger. I'm sorry if it seems too OOC for you guys, but I'm not going to change it. It was effort trying to keep him in character as he interacted with Shiru.  
**

**I do hope you enjoyed. Reviews are motivation. **

**P.S. I'll probably get to the proper editing later. I get OCD when I read through my chapters and see mistakes. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, my lovely unicorns. Here's the eighth chapter for you all, it's a bit short; but I thought it was a good moment to end it. Loving your support, and I hope you enjoy.  
**

* * *

"Do we tell Naruto?"

"What, that his two teammates have become missing-nin and left? Not to mention that his cousin was actually Orochimaru's apprentice the entire time."

Jiraiya leant against the window of Naruto's hospital room, his eyes hard as he stared at his former student's son. Kakashi stood near the door.

_'How could I have missed her? I've been tailing Orochimaru since he left and I wasn't able to find anything of his apprentice. Uzumaki Shiru...'_ The white-haired sannin's mind reeled back to the times Naruto had mentioned her, saying she could do this and that without any trouble. He cared for her like family, but it was obvious she didn't think the same.

What could they tell him? His best friend and rival left with his only family to go to Orochimaru. They could make an excuse so he doesn't throw a fit, but he'd feel bad for deceiving the kid and it would only be a matter of time before he would find out and feel betrayed.

"Maybe we can make him sleep longer?" Kakashi suggested, head tilted as he stared at the ceiling. He was pissed at himself for not being able to protect the Uchiha from the darkness.

"Maybe." Jiraiya muttered, before he saw the bird flying near him. "Damn. They're looking for me."

"You're the most qualified to become the next Hokage, after all." The copy-nin half-smiled under his mask.

The toad sannin waved a dismissive hand. "Tsunade is much more qualified."

* * *

"That asshole...Sarutobi..."

"Well, it wasn't going to be that simple to do...it is said that the Hokage was the strongest of the five kages. However, it is still impressive..." Kabuto trailed off as he was glared at.

"Stop saying words to comfort me. Or I'll kill you..." Orochimaru threatened, not in the mood for anyone to suck up to him at the moment. He perked up at the familiar chakra signature entering the hideout, and the one beside it. "Shiru-chan's returned to us..."

The medic's eyes widened as he turned and waited for Shiru to make herself known.

The Uchiha looked around uncomfortably as the people behind bars were glaring hatefully at them. _'More at her...'_ He noted, staring at the back of the redhead. A person came running towards them from down the hall.

"Shiru-sama! You've returned!" The small boy stated, already out of breath as he stood in front of his superior.

_'What? 'sama'? Is she really that important?'_

"Orochimaru is waiting for us, yes?" She questioned impassively, tilting her head to the side before walking off at the boy's nod. The two males connected eyes, and the Uchiha was surprised to find the heated glare he was receiving from the boy. His eyes surprisingly crimson under those midnight bangs.

They turned a corner, and Sasuke was fascinated by his surroundings. "How did you become his apprentice?" He abruptly asked, finding the silence a little suffocating.

"I asked him to make me his apprentice after my home village was burnt to the ground." She replied, not turning her head back to him to see his surprised expression.

It was only a minute later they came towards a door, and without knocking; the girl opened it and leant against the door frame. Her eyes glinted with an unreadable expression at the pathetic state her master was currently in.

"So he sealed your arms." The redhead stated, eyes narrowing a fraction. _'How annoying.'_ She didn't flinch at the glare Kabuto was giving her. "I suppose we'll be searching for Tsunade shortly, then."

The snake sannin smirked at his apprentice, slightly proud of her intelligence. "Indeed, Shiru-chan. I'm assuming you've completed your mission?"

"Obviously." The girl replied, glancing back at the Uchiha who stepped forward hesitantly. He subconsciouly stayed near Shiru as the two presences before him unnerved him.

Neither of the two failed to notice that little act, and they smirked in unison. "Sasuke-kun. I see you've made a wise choice. You wish to become stronger, yes?"

The boy gulped, clearly uncomfortable. "Yes...Shiru said you could do that."

"She is stronger than you because of my teachings." Orochimaru stated with a chuckle.

_'And experimentations.'_ Shiru thought wryly.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but glanced to the girl who seemed to be serenely calm in their presence.

"Will you accept being my apprentice alongside Shiru-chan?" The snake sannin offered with a tilt of his head, knowing that the boy would accept.

The ravenhead frowned. _'Even if I said no, they wouldn't let me leave. I wouldn't have left Konoha in the first place if I wasn't going to accept. I wish I could've brought some of my stuff.'_

"Yes."

"Good. Shiru, show him to his room. I will speak to you later."

The redhead waved as she pushed off the door frame and began to walk away. Sasuke hurriedly and awkwardly followed after her, releasing a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

"Orochimaru will be teaching us both at the same time, so you and I will be working together a lot more." Shiru explained, turning a corner. This place was like a labrynth. Onyx eyes glanced to her.

"So even if I'm no longer a leaf-nin, we're still a team?" He muttered dryly, a slight frown in his features.

"Indeed. But because of an unfortunate event, you'll be sharing a room with me."

The Uchiha stopped dead, his eyes wide as he stared at the retreating back of the redhead. She gradually stopped and looked over her shoulder to him.

"You mean...you and I...sharing rooms...?" He barely got out, not sure how he should be reacting to that.

"Yes." She deadpanned. "We'll be sharing rooms. You're lucky my room here is large. I don't sleep so you can use the bed."

He continued to stare at her.

"Sharing a room with me isn't a problem, is it?"

Sasuke swallowed, feeling awkward as he looked away uncomfortably. Without warning, his mind suddenly conjured images of the redhead. Shocked, he gasped and reeled back; confusing the girl before him. "Oh, god. What? Where did that come from?" He breathed frantically, holding a hand to his erratic heart in attempt to calm it down. His face lit up in red.

"Sasuke?"

_'What is going on with me?! I never had any of these problems before!'_ The adolescent boy thought angrily, shaking his head again.

"Sasuke." His head snapped up at the voice that sounded a lot closer than her remembered, and froze when he realised just how close her face was.

"Gah!" The poor boy fell back, about to fall on his ass before Shiru grabbed the front of his shirt and saved him from falling.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" The redhead frowned, pulling the boy back onto his feet and releasing him. Her eyes widened slightly at the completely...adorable sight before her. His eyes were wide and staring intently at the floor with his face blown up in red, even his legs and arms were. She could've sworn steam was coming off him as he shook furiously. Shiru stared as he remained silent and seemed to be searching desperately within his thoughts for an answer to his uncharacteristic behaviour. Finally having enough of his strange silence and adorableness, she poked him in the forehead with two fingers; causing him to flinch and lean back, apparently coming back to reality. His hand slapped his forehead.

His eyes were wide for a second, realising what he just thought._ 'I thought it was...'_

"Let's go. I'd rather not get challenged to another fight." The redhead turned and stalked down the hall, with him following like a duckling. He only just noticed the forehead protector he was wearing moments ago in her hand, but was distracted with her words.

"W-..." Sasuke paused, controlling his breathing as he calmed down. "What do you mean, 'challenged to another fight'?"

"Exactly what I mean. Some of Orochimaru's followers don't believe someone like me should be his apprentice, and they challenge me." She explained as they yet again turned a corner.

"What do you do?" He questioned curiously, his expression now back to its usual frown. Shiru guessed it was hormones.

"I kill them. Obviously." She said with such disregard it surprised him. "They challenged me knowing I wouldn't hesitate to kill them if I won. It was their choice. You're going to kill someone tomorrow."

Sasuke stopped, again, which irritated the redhead who turned back. "What?"

"You're going to kill one of the people from the prisons tomorrow. Or they kill you." She clarified, making the Uchiha sweat. "Tomorrow, one of the strongest prisoners will be offered to leave, but first, they have to kill you. If you can't beat him, you're dead."

His eyes widened as he swallowed._ 'Like hell we'd let some shit kill you. I stayed at that goddamn village for a fucking reason and if that reason dies, I'm going on a rampage.'_ The Uzumaki girl frowned.

"This is our room." She then stated, looking to the door on her left. His eyes followed her. Like the wall, the door was made of wood. He watched with curiosity as she placed her hand on it, a seal appearing under her appendage. It seemed to be scanning her hand, before he heard an unlocking sound and the door opened. He stood there, in awe at the sheer...genius of it.

"How did you do that?" He asked as was about to walk in, her hand stopped him fromt progressing further. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Seals." She answered, before grabbing Sasuke's hand and pricking the tip of his finger. He flinched at the sudden but small pain. "If you walked in, you would've been paralysed for a month."

His eyes widened as she was making a seal on the door and dabbing the blood of Sasuke within the spiral of the seal. It disappeared after moment. "The room will accept you now. I'll warn you now that Orochimaru is the only other person who can enter, so he may sneak up on you sometimes." She walked into their now-shared room.

He hesitantly stepped through the entrance, before he stopped to take in his surroundings. It wasn't too small.

The bed was queen-sized, big enough to fit the both of them. It was positioned against the right corner, with a long table the length of the bed beside it. It had various scrolls and seals scribbled onto it, all containing the strange spiral in the middle.

Along her wall was a collection of unique weapons. She had a small kitchen in the left corner, her wardrobe at the foot of her bed. There was a door that probably lead to the bathroom by it.

He was about to step forward before a yip surprised him and caused him to stumble. "The hell!?"

"Yujin, don't scare the idiot." Shiru scolded as she removed her scarf and placed it on the counter of her kitchen. Onyx eyes landed on the small animal on the floor. It was a fox. The fox was small, only coming up to about Sasuke's knees. Its fur was a light shade of blue, with its eyes a forest green that glinted slyly. It had twin tails shuffling behind it.

"A fox?!"

"Yes. This is Yujin." The redhead introduced, removing her dark purple sweater. Sasuke's eyes shifted to her, involuntarily watching as she did so. He immediately winced in pain when the small fox bit his shin.

"Ow! Shit!" The Uchiha cursed, shaking his leg to throw off the two-tailed fox currently sinking its teeth into his shin. The fox let go when they heard a loud thud.

Onyx eyes looked to Shiru, who was currently leaning over on it and panting. Her fist was shaking erratically, before she pushed off the counter and shakily but hurriedly made her way to the bathroom; brushing past him.

Yujin yipped unhappily as the redhead slammed the door, leaving Sasuke and the fox.

"What the hell was that?"

Shiru slid down the door, her body failing to function properly as she shook violently.

_'Shit! Why now of all times?!'_ No matter how hard she tried, her body continuously shook and refused to respond to her. Abruptly, the girl coughed; blood escaping her mouth and falling onto the weight turtle-neck she was currently wearing. After a few minutes, her body calmed down and she sighed heavily. The inside of her mouth was cut and stinging lightly. That was probably the reason for the blood.

_'You can't force a child to become a super soldier without consequences.'_ She cringed, resting her head against the door and staring at the light on the ceiling. Some part of her wished that it didn't apply to her, but she knew it was inevitable. Her body was an Uzumaki, yes, but it was so young and the trauma it had to endure was too much; resulting in seizures that varied in seriousness. It only happened a few times a month, but it was going to get worse if any more experiments were put on her. Sure, she had the specially-made pills to stop them; but she only used them during battle situations or serious ones. They were only temporary as well.

It annoyed her that Sasuke had to be there for that. She needed him to think she had no weaknesses, because she was meant to be the one that he had to climb over before he went after Itachi. Was there something else she could do with her new life? Probably. But she felt there was nothing else to do other than work for Orochimaru.

She could bond with people, and live with them; only for Orochimaru or someone to kill them and leave her alone and hurt. That was something she feared. It was better not to get attached. You're better off alone.

_'But it's lonely...huh?'_ She smiled softly at the familiar phrase. _'Isn't being lonely the same as being hurt? But at least I have control over that.'_

"Shiru...?" The redhead's ear twitched at the muffled voice of Sasuke from behind the door.

"Give me a minute."

* * *

Naruto barged into his house, tearing open the door that was once his cousin's room and searching frantically for any signs of her.

"Nothing!" He threw the neat sheets of the bed off. "Nothing!" He threw the pillows at the wall. "Nothing!" He screamed, tears already forming at his water line.

The blonde hadn't believed it when Pervy-Sage and Kakashi-sensei told him...told him...

It couldn't be! The damn bastard wasn't at the Uchiha estate! His stuff was clearly still there, but he wasn't.

"Shiru-chaaaaan!" Naruto wailed, dropping to his knees. He gripped the mattress as he wailed. "You stupid idiot! How could you just leave me! I thought we were family! Taking teme with you too! You're both idiots! Bastards! I hate you both!" He slammed his fist into the bed over and over again, cursing and shouting at his two teammates who betrayed him.

He was about to fall asleep after having cried too much, but the white paper sticking out from under the bed caught his attention. Naruto frowned, picking up the paper. He stared at its blankness.

"What?" His eyes were red from crying, but they widened upon realising this was the same paper Shiru-chan made him put his chakra into not too long ago. "Alright." He took a deep breath, before sending his chakra to the blank paper.

Naruto waited, snot running down his nose. Slowly, words began to form.

He stared at the words that formed.

It was Shiru's handwriting.

His lip trembled at the small message.

**'I'm sorry.'**

"You idiot, Shiru..." The blonde held the paper close to his chest as he clenched his eyes shut. "You idiot..."

The next time Jiraiya saw the blonde ball of energy at Ichiraku Ramen, he wasn't as full of energy. It was to be expected though, they couldn't put him in a coma after all just for their own sakes.

He slowly at his ramen, unlike how he would usually down it in minutes. Jiraiya blinked in surprise when Naruto addressed him when he hadn't even made his appearance.

"They're really gone, huh?"

The toad sannin sighed. "They are. I'm sorry that she did this."

"She's sorry too..." The little boy whispered softly before abruptly standing up and turning to face the white-haired man. "That's why I'm going to bring them back! Both teme and Shiru-chan! Believe it!"

Jiraiya stared wide-eyed, but then frowned. "You should forget them. They made their choice."

The blonde shook his head. "I don't care! I'll make them come back!"

"Shiru was working for Orochimaru, Naruto." The toad sannin chided, surprising the Uzumaki boy. "Sasuke made his choice to follow her. It'd be wise to just forget them. It'd be foolish go after them. There's even a chance that Orochimaru took his body already."

Naruto growled. "I will bring them back! I don't care if I'm a fool, I don't go back on my words! It's my ninja way!"

The older man stared, wide-eyed at the little blonde. He had decided to make him his apprentice early on, since Sasuke's defection was rather abrupt and unexpected. But his apprentice reminded him so much of himself.

"Shiru-chan is my family and Sasuke is my friend! I won't leave them with that snake bastard!"

* * *

Sakura cried.

She cried hard.

Sasuke was gone, and that damn Shiru was the reason why. She had been useless to help, since she was pinned to a tree; but she was right there.

Shiru was never one of the Leaf. She was an enemy from the very beginning.

Sakura would've been on his team if it wasn't for her, and if it wasn't for her; he'd still be here.

She stared at her reflection coming off the water of the river. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was oily and unbrushed.

Why did Sasuke follow Shiru, a girl who had an untamed amount of hair; who was rude and blunt; who didn't care for just about anyone?

The pink-haired girl laughed wryly._ 'I know nothing about him, so I can't tell why. I've been pretending that I was head over heels for him, but in the end...he never saw me. I liked him because everyone else liked him...didn't I?'_

_**'Oh? You just now figured it out?!'**_ Inner Sakura mocked, laughing.

_'Shut up! You had no idea either.'_

**_'Maybe, maybe not. Either way, isn't it time we stop being brats and start being ninja?!'_**

The small girl stared at the forehead protector in her hands. At first, her team failed. But she showed proficient chakra control and was asked to join the medical program. Of course she agreed. There wasn't much else she could do.

It was more fun than she first thought. The things she learnt would've been unknown to her if she became a ninja off the bat. She thought it would impress Sasuke if he knew she was a good medic.

But then it became her passion without Sasuke. She thought that being a good medic was being a good ninja, but she knew next to nothing about combat.

_'Yeah...I can't let Sasuke-kun take over my life when he's not even here anymore.'_

It was strange, when she stood up; when she grabbed a kunai from her pouch and cut the pink tresses that hindered her. The hair flew in the wind, vaguely reminiscent of cherry blossoms.

With that hair, was the girl she was before.

Now, with a determined glint in her forest green eyes; she was a new girl.

She wasn't Haruno Sakura; fangirl of Uchiha Sasuke anymore.

She was Haruno Sakura; A kunoichi of the Leaf.

How surprising, that it had been this...easy to let go of someone who you thought you were in love with.

_**'Shannaro!'**_

* * *

Shiru sighed in relief as she removed the weighted clothing from her form, placing them lightly on the counter of the sink in the bathroom. She glanced at the rings around her wrists, staring at it as if it was about to move or do something abrupt.

Sighing again, she dropped her hand and went into the shower.

A year or so ago when she was on an assignment, she could've sworn that something was pulling against the marks; wanting her to go towards a certain direction. It only lasted a few seconds, but it had confused her ever since.

The water was cold, but she could barely feel it; her eyes immediately darting towards the figure leaning against the glass of her shower.

"Orochimaru." She acknowledged with a frown. He wasn't looking at her, since his back was to her; but it was still a little irritating she couldn't have a moment of privacy for once. Sure, he's seen her naked many times before due to his lovely hobbies; but sometimes there's a line.

The snake sannin chuckled at her obvious annoyance, before wincing slightly at the pain in his arms.

"Shiru-chan." He greeted as she returned to washing her hair. "How has Sasuke-kun been?"

"Fine. He's still adjusting and when left on his own, he tends to ponder on his weaknesses. He killed his opponent with a little trouble and is training currently. He witnessed one of my episodes, as well." The redhead sighed, rinsing her hair whilst her master frowned at the information.

"Oh? I had thought the pills I gave you stopped them."

"They only stop them when I have an episode. It's not permanent. Your experiments seemed to be too much for this body." The girl sighed at how comfortable she was when her male master was right there as she was having a shower. Modesty was never one of her traits.

"Hmm." Her master frowned in thought, resting his head against the glass that was lacking any fog due to the cold water. "Perhaps we can persuade Tsunade to heal you as well."

"Do you value me that much, Orochimaru?" She teased lightly, knowing that the two of them didn't care for one another enough to be concerned just for the other's sake.

He chuckled. "You've proven yourself to be quite the asset, and I trust you almost as much as Kabuto."

"I see." Shiru turned the shower off and grabbed the towel hanging over the edge of the glass and wrapping it around her as Orochimaru pushed off the glass door and leaned against the sink instead. He wasn't interested in her sexually, therefore making it easier for him to be here. He knew she was an adult in mind, and she knew that he wasn't actually a pedophile to be attractive to her adolescent body.

"Why don't you just switch bodies to Sasuke now? It's almost time." For some reason there was a tug of reluctance for that event to happen, but she shrugged it off.

He seemed to ponder it for a bit, before a sly smile appeared on his face. "If Tsunade refuses to heal my arms, then perhaps. I would like to train him before I take him. He hasn't shown me all of his capabilities."

The redhead dried her hair, then dressed herself in a simple black sweater and baggy pants after putting on her undergarments and weighted clothing.

The sannin raised an eyebrow. "Are you going somewhere, Shiru-chan?" He inquired, noting that she only plaited her hair when going out.

"I'm going to gather some information." She informed her master, opening the door and walking out. Yujin was sleeping on the bed with the messed up sheets, indicating that Sasuke had been sleeping there. Orochimaru followed with unhidden curiosity as she gathered her things. He hadn't informed her of this, but she usually did that when she had free time. "Wakai and Orudo informed me that Naruto and Jiraiya are currently pursuing Tsunade."

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Oh? That nine-tails boy? What is he doing with Jiraiya?"

"Possibly to become his apprentice." She suggested, grabbing a black blindfold. "Perhaps I should've waited for Kakashi to teach Sasuke how to use the sharingan."

Her master eyed the blindfold. "Has his training not been up to your standards?"

His apprentice frowned at him, causing him to smile. "You're meant to be training him, but right now your arms are of bigger concern. That bastard of a Hokage." Shiru cursed in annoyance. It was inconvenient to have her master disabled.

The two shared a moment of pure disdain for the third Hokage, but it was broken when Shiru made the move to leave.

"Yujin, look after Sasuke for me." She called to the small fox, who yipped confidently after waking up.

"I'm still surprised you managed to find the fox scroll." The sannin commented as they walked side by side down the hall. "I had thought you would stay with the snakes."

"I'm contracted to both of them, but Wakai and Orudo are my familiars rather than simply my summons. The same goes for Yujin. Using the fox summons drains me more than snake summons so I rarely use it."

"You can only summon one at a time."

"Yes."

They stopped at the entrance.

"You will train Sasuke while I'm gone, then?" She inquired, tilting her head.

He tilted his as well. "Hm? You seem to be quite interested in his growth."

Shiru sighed. "You've made it my job to babysit him. Even if you are hurt, you're still stronger than me by far. The quicker he improves, the less time I have to watch over him."

_'And get attached.'_ They both thought in unison.

He could see that ever so slowly she was opening up to him, and that she was fighting that as much as possible.

"Do inform me of her whereabouts."

"Tanzaku Quarters. If you want to have a chance at her healing your arms, get there before Jiraiya."

* * *

Itachi paused as he stood in front of the Uzumaki boy, sensing the presence of another behind him.

He turned slowly, eyes settling upon the form of a girl with fiery red hair. Her eyes were blindfolded as her arms were crossed.

Naruto's eyes widened when he looked at the figure at the end of the hall.

"Shiru-chan!"

"Shiru?" Kisame questioned looking back to the girl whose eyes were covered. "Does she know of your sharingan, Itachi? She's wearing a blindfold."

The elder Uchiha's eyes narrowed. "I do not know."

"Shiru-chan, watch out! These guys are strong!" The blonde warned his cousin seriously, knowing that right now wasn't the time to interrogate her. _'But why is she here?'_

"I know that, idiot." The stoic girl sighed, drawing her sword but not putting any chakra into it. _'Kisame's damn Samehada is a bitch.'_

"Oh? You want to fight, girl?" The blue nin challenged, his signature grin plastered on his face.

She tilted her head in his direction, her mind's eyes opened and allowing her to see just exactly where the two Akatsuki members were. She had wondered if her mind's eye would be able to counter Itachi's genjutsu.

"I don't." Shiru replied impassively as always, reminding the Hoshigaki member of his partner. "I'd like to avoid it if possible, but it's unlikely. You're targeting someone I need alive."

Naruto blinked, touched. She cared about him. Even if she left, Shiru still cared about him.

"Do you really think you can take us on?" Kisame taunted, amused.

"For a small amount of time. Are you his apprentice now, Naruto?" The redhead questioned her cousin, who had a hard time keeping up.

"Uh...you mean Pervy-Sage? Yeah." He gulped, these people were scary._ 'And why does this guy have the sharingan?'_

She resheathed her sword. "I've bought enough time. Itachi."

Itachi stared intently at the girl, already listening. She remained silent for a moment, wondering if she should even say this.

"Your brother is no longer a resident of the Leaf."

The Uchiha's eyes widened a fraction, the sudden information taking him off guard.

"Brother?" Kisame repeated with a confused tone. "I thought your entire family was massacred...by you."

"Goodbye." The two Akatsuki members noted how her chakra signature suddenly vanished just as a new one came barging in.

"Shiru-chan!" Naruto called, but it was too late. She was gone and he was on the verge of tears.

The redhead was already a good ways out of the town, moving onto the next to continue on with her task; Find Tsunade. Why had she gone to Naruto?

Because he would've died if she hadn't. Sasuke wasn't there to buy Jiraiya time. She had to otherwise the main character would've died.

She didn't want to admit it...but he had let her slither somehow into her heart. It was small, only a fraction; but it was enough to make her care about him so that he just doesn't die too soon.

_'Idiot knows how to invade in on other people's hearts.'_ The girl sighed.

She placed the diamond-shaped bottle into one of her scrolls.

_'Karin better be happy I have a whole other sealing scroll just for her goddamn perfumes.'_

* * *

**Development, development~. Just noticed that Itachi and Shiru are actually kind of similar. Huh. Go figure. Hormones suck. Sakura's grown up. Cheese.  
**

**Reviews are fairy dust of magical smiles and faster (possibly) updates. Whoo.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for your support. Poll's still up, if anyone hasn't read the previous author notes. I drew Shiru again. It's on my profile simply called 'Shiru'. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

Kimimaro was only a small boy when his clan was obliterated entirely for being tactless warriors.

He was only a small boy when one named Orochimaru and a small girl named Shiru approached him.

Her eyes were a deep emerald that seemed to look right through his own vividly green ones. She had the same distant expression he had, as if she didn't have a purpose either.

He grew to idolize Orochimaru, even though she had been with the sannin longer and didn't seem to share his mentality. Jugo willingly allowed himself to be caged up in hopes of no longer harming anyone.

Kimimaro, Shiru and Jugo were all quiet people in general, and thus; their time spent together was tranquil and peaceful. The both of them knew that the female of their quiet trio never truly let her guard down when it was revealed they were becoming to view her as a friend. She had an air that was...sad.

Something they all shared. However, over time Shiru stopped visiting.

They couldn't blame her of course, she was Orochimaru's apprentice. But how many years had it been since she had visited?

Kimimaro could only stare at the clouds as he sat upon the roof of the hideout he was currently residing at.

By some form of luck, whatever disease the Kaguya boy had died from in canon; was no longer in existence in this world.

Perhaps it was Shiru's influence, perhaps it was just luck. But the point was that he was fit to become the next container for his master. It showed the future was never set in stone.

Uchiha Sasuke was to be trained before becoming his host.

Kimimaro was resigned to his fate. He would do anything to aid Orochimaru.

But he at least wanted to see her again, one last time before he was to sacrifice himself.

_'Perhaps I will visit Jugo.'_

* * *

"Shit! Yujin, quit it!"

"Yiiip!"

"Shut up, I don't know when she'll be back so I'm eating the strawberries whether you like it or no-" Sasuke was cut off when the blue ball of fluff jumped up and headbutted him, knocking him off balance to land on his ass.

He cursed darkly as his vision was blurry and liquid ran down his forehead.

Yujin had the hardest goddamn headbutts even thought was was barely the height of his shin.

The small fox quickly gathered the strawberries mid-air and replaced them within the container, his teeth gently gripping the lid and placed it on top, his small paws pressing down on the corners.

"Yip!"

The Uchiha glared at the fox as it stared innocently at him with wide green eyes, standing by the container of strawberries.

_'Stupid fox. God, he's more annoying than Dobe.'_ Sasuke cringed at the sudden clench of pain his chest felt at the thought of the male Uzumaki. "Fine," he spat as he wiped his forehead and slowly stood up.

It was revealed to him that Shiru's favourite fruit was strawberries, with the large container full of them in the fridge was any indication. They seemed to be perfectly ripe, something that looked to good to be true.

As luck would have it, since Shiru was out of the picture for who knows how long; he was allowed to be trained by different people who specialised in certain areas until Orochimaru had healed his hands.

His life here was surprisingly more comfortable than he had first thought. Perhaps it was because he was with someone he was familiar with. Training was intense, when he had fought Shiru for the first time...

It was simple to say he had gotten smashed. Wind was stronger than lightning. For now.

He strived to beat her, to at least acknowledge that the Uchiha in front of her was worthy.

But she regarded him with the same eyes _he_ did. Like he wasn't worthy, like he was underneath her.

It made him furious.

But there would be times, albeit rare, where she would regard him with a soft smile whenever he did a good job. Why he felt bashful and coughed awkwardly whenever she did so was unknown to him. Could it be that she reminded him so much of them? Of his own family that was no longer there?

She was a mix of father, brother and even his own mother to a much lesser extent. That was probably why he wanted to prove himself, to show that he was more than just a boy who was intent on revenge.

_'I don't expect you to listen to this, but I will inform you anyway. Hate will consume you and blind you from becoming stronger, no matter what you think. Your hatred will only hold you back.'_

The first time she told him that, he gave her his best scowl. She knew nothing. Nothing of why he had so much hatred. She already knew what he was thinking.

_'Don't you think that I would know of your clan considering who I am and work for?'_ Shiru mocked him and he knew.

_'I will not stop you in your quest as an avenger, but don't let it blind and consume you as a person. Whether or not you listen will be up to you.'_

Revenge was rarely without hate, so if she knew, how could she assume that he would give up his hatred for his elder brother?

_'You look as if I'm asking you to jump off a cliff and come back uninjured. The amount of strength a person who can overcome hatred...is unbelievably powerful.'_

It was a rare moment where they would sit on the roof of the hideout and watch the stars in the sky. He was dirty from training that day whilst she only had a few patches of dirt on her form.

He stared up at her incredulously, before realising the rare emotion displayed by the redhead.

Under the moonlight, her eyes were illuminated beautifully.

But what was in those orbs was what shocked him most.

Sorrow.

Betrayal.

Pain.

Anger.

Then nothing.

Her mask was back up and her eyes revealed no more as they turned to his wide onyx orbs.

She was human too, he finally realised.

He treated her like she was inhuman, an obstacle he was meant to overcome and not a real person. She reminded him too much of Itachi, and that threw him off.

But ever since that night, he had known that she was suffering just as he was. He knew nothing of her, but there was an understanding between the both of them and he couldn't help but respect her just that bit more.

Ever since that night he had been determined to become stronger, but it made him wonder just why he felt more determined after seeing a side to her that she never showed before.

He realised that she often got lost in her thoughts during training, and he used that to gauge how much she was paying attention to him.

Yujin was very protective of her, but would often follow him around as if to keep an eye on him whenever she wasn't around.

The little fur ball was a demon in disguise.

Cute on the outside, sly little demon on the inside.

Did Shiru order him to make his life harder? Yujin was a perfect little angel with his beloved redhead, but with him there was something that scared the adolescent boy.

He hadn't expected life to become like it had.

Train. Rest. Train. Rest. It was repetitive and highly effective.

But sometimes he would miss that blonde idiot who was always loud and obnoxious, who would treat him like a best friend and a rival.

It hurt to think about it actually.

Sasuke didn't know that the Uzumaki boy had that much of an impact on him.

He spoke of him to Shiru once.

Her eyes softened and a small smile formed.

_'He's not going to give up.'_

That much was true, but she looked like she was looking forward to it.

So she cared too?

Sasuke found himself staring at her more and more whenever they were together, found himself letting his guard down around her.

And he knew that she was doing the same and was very much aware.

Some days she would treat him like a socially awkward elder sister, and the other she would disregard him completely.

What did he see her as?

He often asked himself that.

* * *

Things were not going the way she had wanted.

First, she had ran into a bunch of irritable bandits.

Second, a family of rabid forest wolves ambushed her.

And now, she was fighting a bunch of nameless ninjas who seemed intent on murdering her.

She shifted to the left to dodge a kunai then blocked a tanto with her tachi, sending chakra through the blade and engulfing it in wind-chakra. It effectively sliced through the smaller blade with little force and cut the shoulder of the wielder before they jumped back.

They all wore masks, but her nose didn't lie.

Three were female, four were male. Two were dead and two were bleeding excessively. The last three were only mildly injured but were panting.

Shiru had to admit that this little battle had been going on more than she would've liked. She was tired, pissed and had a headache from a fucking club whacking the side of her head.

Her vision was beginning to blur, too.

_'I'm ending this now, then.'_ She commented, bending her knees as the remaining three followed suit.

Ten minutes later, Shiru was covered in blood and was standing amongst the corpses.

She panted harshly as her hands began to shake. Knowing that it was happening again, she sheathed her tachi and tried to grab the pills from her back pocket.

Shakily, she shook out two pills from the rather large container of seizure pills and downed them as quickly as she was able without accidentally spitting them back out.

She moved to the nearest tree and slid down the trunk until she was seated, her eyes becoming increasingly harder to keep open.

Willing her muscles to relax, she sighed and closed her eyes.

Fights with bandits were easy.

Easy.

Rabid wolves? Easy.

Fights with groups of trained ninja who seemed to range from mid-chuunin to jounin were not.

True, she was at the rank of a jounin if she was to go to a village; but that obviously didn't mean she was invincible.

Thanks to her Uzumaki blood, she would survive the particularly irritating stab to her side; the cut on her thigh; the slice on her neck and the concussion on her head. At least the clothing weights had the habit of stitching itself up when imbued with a little chakra.

Didn't mean she wasn't hurting like a bitch and she was forced to stay where she was for a long amount of time.

She often avoided long battles because the more injuries she got, the more chance of a seizure happening mid-battle. Hence the god-awful amount of pills.

Shiru fought the increasing urge to fall asleep, it wouldn't be good if she went into a goddamn coma.

She bandaged herself up slowly, if only to keep herself awake. Night had fallen and she was in the forest with seven corpses.

_'I'll loot them when I'm better.'_ She glared at the corpses, seeing as they were the reason she was currently invalid.

Pulling out one of her scrolls, she opened it and decided to semi-limp walk to the corpses and place their bodies in it for later examination. Whether it was merely a coincidence or it was planned, she'd need their bodies to stay relatively not rotten.

The redhead was too far into the forest to be able to make to the next town without dropping and having a good old episode of the shakes.

If only this body was older.

Compromising, she made camp up in one of the larger branches of the trees. Jumping was easy with only one fully functioning leg if she was only going straight up.

Once she was sure she was safe, she couldn't help but let the impending darkness take over.

Thankfully due to her compulsive need to never be vulnerable, her brain always sent signals to wake her up with a start every time she was going into one of the more deeper levels of sleep.

Fatigue was also bitch, but at least she was used to it.

Still a bitch since she was injured. So glad the motherfuckers who hurt her were dead.

_'This trip so far wasn't worth it. Currently, I should just not give a shit about Tsunade because like hell she'll even heal the bastard, but that didn't mean I'm not curious about the other sannin. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.'_ She sighed outwardly when the sun began to rise from the mountains.

She stared at its mesmerizing colours; it had been a while since she could properly appreciate the sunrise.

The warm colours reminded him of a certain blonde, and she felt her face soften at the thought.

The boy was like the little brother...the little brother whom she lost.

He just had to die before her. He just had to break her heart even more than it already was.

That_ person_ had torn her apart, destroyed her trust and her heart.

Her little brother was the world to her, and she was devastated when she realised that she wasn't the only one who was sick.

Because he got it much younger than she had, he was hardly able to survive it.

He didn't.

Shiru blinked back the tears rapidly, sighing deeply at the mere memory of him. It wasn't Naruto's appearance that reminded her of her beloved brother, it was his personality.

Energetic, mischievous, passionate and strong. He was bullied. He handled them like a champ.

She didn't realise how similar they really were until she was near the end of her stay in Konoha.

But she had to act like she didn't care.

Right?

* * *

It was strange.

How even though the three of them were all apart...

They continued to think about each other.

Sasuke and Shiru were the reason for Naruto's determination.

Shiru and even Naruto were Sasuke's.

Shiru wasn't accepting the fact that the two brats were growing on her.

Maybe she'd learn to accept them in the future.

* * *

_'Finally,'_ Shiru sighed as she finally arrived in Tanzaku-Gai.

This trip made her think that maybe Team seven's bad luck was rubbing off on her, because when she had finally healed from her attack; _another_ group of ninjas abruptly arrived. Though it was smaller and easier, that didn't mean it wasn't very much agitating. Didn't these people have better things to do than to attempt to murder her on sight? Did she have a picture of her actual self in the bingo book, or what?

She was always one to go with the flow.

But sometimes, her temper wouldn't let her.

So, safe to say her mood was rather sour by the time she found Orochimaru in a small hideout near Tanzaku-Gai with Kabuto. Her killing intent was veiled to the citizen's senses, but to ninjas it wasn't so subtle.

Kabuto stared long and hard at the redhead, as if gauging the level of irritation rolling off of the female in waves.

He pushed up his glasses before pulling out a stool. Silently, she walked over to the table and began to removed her muffler, sweater and the weights. The table legs cracked at the weight of her weights, so she placed them on the floor and sat on the stool.

The white-haired medic simply checked the wounds she had acquired on her trip and noted that she received a number of scars. He healed the cut on her head that was slowly healing and the more recent injuries that weren't life-threatening but were still bleeding nonetheless. He barely glanced at her bound breasts, as he had seen breasts a number of times and as a medic, it was mandatory to not become bashful.

He wondered if she even saw him as an adult. Sure, she was in a child's body, but her mind was sharper than any fourtee-no, she turned fifteen a week ago, didn't she? According to Karin, her birthday was about a week ago.

Anyway, she treated him almost like a brat sometimes, but respected him and his abilities. They got along well enough to understand the other without so much as a word.

Perhaps that was enough.

Orochimaru watched the exchange with mild interest from his chair. They were there for a week since he'd given Tsunade the time to make a decision with his offer. Shiru should've been here before them, but by the look of her form and her blatant intent to murder, she ran into trouble.

The sannin chuckled to himself but remained silent and became lost within his thoughts. His mood wasn't much better. These arms were burning like hell.

Kabuto traced the newly formed scar in her side that was caused by a tanto with his fingers. He examined her organs and noted that they seemed to have repaired well, as expected of her body.

"How many did you have?" He asked quietly as she stood and removed the lower part of her clothes. To keep her decency despite her immodesty to not care, she had kept the weighted short shorts on.

There was a large cut scar on her left outer thigh and he traced that as well. Kabuto was always intense when examining her scars. The newer injuries were without a scar since he healed them, but he really couldn't do anything with a scar since everything was basically healed.

"I took about ten all up." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. He glanced at the black rings around her wrists. With her always covered up, he rarely saw them and was surprised to when he did the first time.

He felt ashamed for a good week about walking in on a ten-year-old who was butt naked. He leaned forward upon realising she had a scar on the side of her neck and tilted her head before pushing her hair out of the way.

Kabuto chuckled. "You must've ran into a lot of trouble then."

"Yes." She nearly growled as she stood up, causing Kabuto to step back and went into the bathroom. This place had showers and she was using it to her full advantage. She smelt like blood, guts, dirt and trees.

Not exactly great for her nose.

* * *

Since plans didn't go the way Shiru had wanted, Naruto and Jiraiya were in town.

What made her curious was why Orochimaru didn't go the moment she told him of her whereabouts.

Maybe he wasn't able to.

But nonetheless, things went annoyingly canon.

Tsunade was tempted. She was very much tempted to accept Orochimaru's offer, but Naruto had made her change it.

Her goal was to get to Tsunade before Naruto and hope that she didn't have a change of heart and healed Orochimaru. Long shot, but worth it.

At least that's what she thought before she suddenly became a target for no reason.

_'Oh, well.'_ Shiru sighed. After having calmed down and allowed to relax for a day or two, going with the flow was easy.

From her examinations, the ninjas who had ganged up on her seemingly had no affiliation with a village.

One of them had a certain seal on the back of their tongue, but the rest didn't.

Did Danzo organise this?

_'I suppose it won't do me good to worry...'_ Shiru frowned, though it was definitely suspicious.

But her current priority was Tsunade and Jiraiya. Hell, Naruto's going to be a problem because all he'll do is demand she come back to the village.

Definite no.

Shiru merely read as Shizune, Naruto and Jiraiya arrived; and how Kabuto was currently belittling the jinchuriki. She remained silent by Orochimaru's side as Kabuto reunited with them.

"Please take off the left bandage." Kabuto requested, to which the snake sannin complied with.

Naruto stared, wide-eyed to see his redheaded cousin standing idly beside his enemies reading a damn book.

"Shiru-chan!" He called, about to run towards her but only to be stopped by the hand Jiraiya pulled out in front of him.

"Shiru is our enemy, Naruto. Don't go near them." Jiraiya ground out, his face fierce with his eyes never leaving Orochimaru's. "Shizune, you handle the guy in glasses and Shiru. I'll take care of Orochimaru."

Orochimaru snorted. _'Shizune taking on both Kabuto and Shiru-chan? Please.' _He glanced to his apprentice. _'I doubt she's going to fight this time.'_

Kabuto smirked and pushed up his glasses as he glanced to the redhead who shut her book and placed it in her back pocket. She seemed to look indifferent, but he knew that she was irked.

"Like the guy in the glasses said, they're on an entirely different level. The enemy is like me, one of the three nins, plus he killed the third Hokage. An eye for an eye! Only I can take him." Jiraiya informed the blonde boy who seemed intent on fighting, if only to knock some sense into his cousin. "Also, the guy in glasses has the same power as Kakashi, and I would assume Shiru is about the same."

Naruto glanced at her, but she merely stared ahead with emerald eyes that shone without emotion. Man, he missed her.

Almost immediately, Kabuto and Jiraiya made the movements to summon their contracts.

Whilst Orochimaru, Shiru and Kabuto stood upon the giant head of Manda; Jiraiya and the others gaped at the small toad summon before them.

"Your stupidity still hasn't been cured, Jiraiya. Then I will attack first!" Orochimaru growled. "I don't think there exists anyone less talented than you...it looks like Tsunade's been hurt by something..."

Shiru blocked out their annoying habit for chit chatting and simply stared at Naruto as he moved to summon Gamabunta.

Of course, he was only able to summon one of the sons.

Orochimaru snapped her out of her thoughts when Manda began to move.

"I'll take Jiraiya...the rest are yours!"

Kabuto and Shiru jumped.

Shiru landed with a sigh as Kabuto dealt with Shizune.

Frankly, she wasn't needed at the moment; and so she sat upon a rock and merely observed.

The redhead controlled her breathing as Kabuto continued to beat down Naruto. As Naruto stood up for himself and told everyone just how stubborn he really was.

She jumped to Kabuto's side when he was blown back by Naruto's rasengan.

The white-haired medic could no longer move, and was currently on his stomach. He coughed as he glanced up at her with a small smirk.

"Why aren't you doing anything, Shiru-chan?" He questioned her with a glint in his eye. Shiru kneeled down beside the bespectacled boy and pushed him onto his back, causing him to groan in pain.

Kabuto noticed the amused glint in Shiru's eyes. "I have my reasons. Don't you trust me, Kabuto?"

He smirked at her. Whatever she was up to, he supposed he could have faith in her.

They both snapped their heads towards Orochimaru when he was knocked back by Tsunade.

"I am the fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf!" She declared dramatically.

Shiru sighed._ 'Guess things don't always go the way we want. Oh, well.'_

"Orochimaru-sama! The Manda!" Kabuto called.

The snake sannin jumped to his two subordinates' location and let the white-haired one brush blood along his seal.

"Summoning no Jutsu!"

Orochimaru, Shiru and Kabuto were back onto Manda's head; as Tsunade and Jiraiya were on their own summons.

"Manda and Orochimaru, Katsuyu and Tsunade...long time no see. What, planning some special reunion Jiraiya?" Gamabunta inquired the toad sannin.

"Fool!" Jiraiya growled. "Don't crack stupid jokes when I call you for a tough job! It's time to settle an old enmity. We're going to defeat Orochimaru. Now."

Orochimaru grinned as Manda assumed his turn to speak. "Hey, Orochimaru. What are you smoking, summoning me here to this lame excuse for land? You want me to eat your sorry ass?"

"Please Manda-sama. We'll thank you generously later on..." Kabuto pleaded.

"Who do you think you're talking to?! Keep your dirty gas bags shut, stupid brat!"

Shiru sighed yet again. "Honestly, Kabuto. I thought you learned the Manda an ass." She commented when Kabuto's face fell.

"What'd you say!? You little shit! Next time you try to summon me, I'll eat your puny ass!"

The redhead snorted.

"Puh! You'd better prepare at least a hundred sacrifices after this, you got that Orochimaru!" Manda demanded rudely.

_'Nuh. I'm done.'_ Shiru sat upon Manda's head and got out one of her many books and opened to a page. The three sannins and the summons were exchanging words that she frankly didn't care to listen to. One of Shiru's many talents was to be able to stay seated and completely ignore the battle going on around her despite being on the head of one of the opponents. Her hair whipped around wildly, but her eyes remained on her book.

Kabuto glanced at the redhead, an amused glint in his eye at her lack of care in this current situation.

They all jumped as Tsunade brought down the giant blade onto Manda's mouth.

Shiru closed her book when Orochimaru seemingly was defeated and placed her hands into her pockets as her two comrades looked worse for wear and she looked rather spotless.

_'I already dealt with shit on the way here and had a hard time with ninjas who can't even compare to the sannin. Fuck fighting.'_

"I will surely destroy the Leaf. 'Till we meet again, my friends. Hehe...Tsunade, Jiraiya." Orochimaru grinned.

Kabuto and Shiru disappeared in a puff of smoke whilst the snake sannin sunk into the ground.

Jiraiya frowned. _'That Shiru looked like she didn't give a damn about Naruto and he wants to bring her back? She'd be in interrogation if that were to happen.'_

* * *

Sasuke immediately sat up once he heard the door open. Yujin bounced off his head and pushed him back against the headboard.

The Uchiha groaned as he gingerly grasped his head and cursed the blue fluff from hell.

"Yip!"

"Hello, Yujin." Shiru's impassive voice rang in his ears and he looked up to see the girl holding Yujin with a miniscule smile. Her eyes shifted to him who was on the bed and she tilted her head. "Miss me?"

Sasuke scoffed, looking away as he threw a pillow at her. He didn't want her to see him blushing, stupid hormones. "Yeah, right."

"I'm hurt, Sasuke." She commented with the lightest of teasing tones as she caught the pillow and threw it back at him full force. He gasped when the pillow smashed in his face and sent his head impacting against the headboard again.

"Shit! Ow! I didn't miss you at all!" Sasuke roared after angrily throwing the pillow on the bed and stomping towards the fridge with a frown.

Shiru placed Yujin on the counter. "I'll be back. I'm going to visit an old friend." She stated softly, causing him to glance at her curiously.

"You have friends?" He asked skeptically.

"I consider them so even if it's been a while." She replied, before turning and walking out.

_'Kimimaro should be here...'_

* * *

**Bleh. I've got nothing to say except I hope you review because they are life. They are love. It's never ogre.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**So this is where bad things happen. It was bound to. May seem a bit rushed, but I have my reasons. (I'm tired and lazy.) Enjoy.  
**

* * *

Shiru stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes widened at the figure coming towards her.

He smiled in a sickening way that reminded her of only one person, gold slits with purple outlining, clothes that were his.

But they were on Kimimaro instead.

He came towards her, reaching out a hand to cup her cheek and tilt it up so he could look at the shock in her emerald eyes.

He chuckled deeply in amusement.

"What's the matter, Shiru-chan?" He whispered, with _his_ voice. Kimimaro's voice. "Didn't I tell you I was going to change bodies?"

She remained silent, her hands shaking with what he just knew was anger. _'Perfect.'_

"Kimimaro was willing to do anything for me. It's too bad you didn't get to see him beforehand. I knew you two were close." Orochimaru purred, grabbing a lock of red hair softly.

Her killing intent was intense, but of course it didn't phase him. They both knew it wouldn't.

Usually her killing intent was revealed for only a moment before she covered it again, but her fury was loud in her aura.

Still, she said nothing for fear of saying something she would regret. Her heart had sunk into her stomach as she stared into his eyes.

"I trust you, Shiru-chan. I do." The snake sannin began to speak, ignoring the way her eyes glistened with murderous intent. He leaned forward, his smile wiped of his face as he pushed her against the wall by her stomach and placed his other hand against the wall beside her head. "I will not tolerate it when you blatantly deny to help when my life is in danger. I'll let you off this time, my dear Shiru..."

His own killing intent leaked out, causing her body to naturally stiffen as it was directed to her; but she remained defiant and stared him in the eyes without the fear his mere presence should've instilled. Orochimaru leaned in closer, their faces now only inches apart.

"If you don't help next time...I won't be so lenient anymore." It was a whisper.

But it was a threat she would remember.

He leaned back to get a full picture of his apprentice's form. Her fists were clenched so tight, her nails was piercing the weighted material and her flesh that it began to bleed.

Orochimaru loved her eyes. They were eyes that outright defied him, but were intelligent enough to know that she wouldn't be able to beat him if she were to make the first move.

"Do try to not get close to Sasuke anymore, Shiru-chan. I'm sure you'll understand what happens when you make unnecessary attachments." He grinned darkly. Kimimaro was a dear friend, and he took away their privilege of a final goodbye knowing it would tear her apart from the inside. She hadn't even known he was chosen.

It was barely ten seconds before Shiru relaxed completely and her threatening aura was dissapated. He stared intently as her eyes returned to their deep emerald, with the added steel appearance that revealed nothing but coldness.

_'That's it.'_

The Shiru he liked best was back.

"I understand." She replied, monotone. Her head bowed slightly in acknowledgement as her hands slipped into her pockets and she remained in an aloof and bored demeanour.

Orochimaru licked his lips in satisfaction. He brushed his fingers against her hair as he began to walk off.

"Good."

And Shiru was left alone.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke glanced at his fellow roommate and apprentice as they stood outside with Orochimaru in front of them.

He frowned at the way she ignored him entirely, not even glancing at him despite knowing that he was looking at her.

"All right, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru spoke up, earning the Uchiha's attention. The snake sannin looked more like himself again without looking anything like Kimimaro, with his black hair and all.

A random thought entered Shiru's mind. _'Does he have multiple wigs or does he genetically engineer the hair of the former?'_

She was lost in her thoughts until a kunai entered her peripheal and she automatically caught it, glancing at Orochimaru who merely licked his lips as he smirked.

Sasuke frowned as she ignored him even though he was right in front of her, but said nothing. Their master was scary.

Throughout the entire training session, Shiru treated him just like how she did when they first met.

_'Why?'_ The Uchiha inwardly growled. One day she acts like they're friends, and the next she acts like he doesn't exist. She distanced herself many times before, but never to the point where she ignored him completely.

Sasuke was no match for Shiru, even though he improved; she actually was going to kill him with that last swing of hers, but then she refrained when realising they needed him alive.

He was covered in cuts that varied in seriousness, but he had a particularly painful flesh wound in his thigh. She stabbed him in his goddamn thigh! Luckily, it was just a flesh wound.

Kabuto healed the Uchiha silently, then left without another word; sensing the boy's annoyance and deciding to be polite enough to leave after the Uchiha thanked him reluctantly.

When Sasuke returned to his room, he was exhausted and fell straight onto the bed with a sigh.

His brows furrowed in annoyance and confusion.

No matter how much he wanted to sleep, she kept popping up.

He wanted to know why she was ignoring him.

Why she affected him.

Why he felt hurt whenever she didn't look at him.

Or maybe it was the fact that when she did, there was nothing in her eyes. After knowing her for all these months, he knew that whilst she rarely showed emotion in her eyes, they were soft when looking at him.

Now, after today...her eyes pierced through him and looked at him as if he was nothing but a target.

Sasuke threw a pillow against a wall in frustration.

Then another.

Then he punched the wall.

Over and over again until his knuckles were numb.

He panted harshly as his fists dropped to his sides.

What the hell was he doing?! Thinking about some girl who didn't give a shit about him when he was supposed be focusing on revenge! That's what he was here for in the first place!

So why?! Why the hell is he letting her get to him?!

His head immediately snapped up when the door opened, revealing a disheveled Shiru.

His onyx eyes narrowed in annoyance._ 'Speak of the fucking devil.'_ He thought bitterly. It showed on his face but she acted as if he wasn't there and walked towards the fridge.

One minute went by.

Two minutes.

Three.

He had enough.

"Hey!" He snarled, jumping off the bed as Shiru glanced a bored eye at him.

"What?" She asked with a bored tone, her brow minisculely furrowed in irritation. It pissed him off.

"Why the hell are you ignoring me?" He frowned, stepping forward. "What the hell did I do now?"

Shiru's brow raised slightly. "You're not worth my time."

Those words cut through him like a knife.

Why did it hurt so much?

His shock lasted only a few seconds before he snapped out of it and immediately went to punch her. His speed had significantly increased, but it didn't help when she blocked his fist and punched his stomach with her free hand.

She hit hard enough to cause him to cough out blood as he keeled over onto the floor.

Shiru stepped over him and simply walked towards the door.

"Weak. Getting so affected by me. Tch." She scoffed almost condescendingly and walked out, leaving him grovelling on the floor as it felt like hell was inside his stomach.

He felt weak.

He felt angry.

He was grovelling on the floor, helpless.

Why did this hurt so much?

Because it happened before.

Serves him right for letting her close.

She was another Itachi.

Hatred filled his being.

When the pain subside enough that he didn't need to hold his stomach, he rolled onto his back.

The look on his face called bloody murder.

_'One day, Uzumaki Shiru. I'll kill you like I will Itachi.'_

It was much too easy to corrupt the Uchiha.

* * *

Shiru...

Shiru felt nothing.

She couldn't feel anything when looking at Sasuke.

When thinking of Naruto or her brother.

No...

She couldn't feel a thing for them.

Sasuke was hurt by her. She knew.

And yet she felt nothing when hurting him. She would've killed him if he wasn't of Orochimaru's interest.

The redhead sighed as she sat upon the roof, her legs crossed as she sat on the edge and the wind brushed gently against her. The moon was full.

Everything had been reset.

She had to thank Orochimaru for his little charade. Though it pissed her off greatly, she needed to be reminded just exactly why she didn't let people into her heart in the first place.

Shutting everything out was easy.

Oh, it was too easy.

One of her many talents.

She pulled out one of her books and opened it to a page and began to read.

Unlike in the past few months, her head wasn't filled with any distractions.

It was refreshing...

And yet Shiru knew that if she were to let it, she would've felt empty.

But she did not.

Right now, right then.

Everything was back to the way it was.

Sasuke could hate her for all she cared anymore.

Her task now was to merely learn all she was able to from Orochimaru, and to make Sasuke grow stronger for the snake sannin.

_'Sealing technique; Black Aura unleashes a dark and ominous aura...'_ Shiru was soon lost in the world of fuinjutsu.

The months passed by much quicker this time.

* * *

"It's been about two and a half years..."

"Indeed..."

"I missed this place! It hasn't changed one bit!"

Naruto stood on one of the many objects of Konohagakure as she breathed in the familiar air and placed his hands on his hips.

The blonde's eyes widened when he looked at the Hokage mountain to find the old woman's face carved into it.

"Hehehehe! So they've added Tsunade's ugly old mug to the mountain! Ha!" He laughed.

"You've grown a lot, haven't you...Naruto." The familiar voice caused the Uzumaki boy to glance back at the owner.

Kakashi waved with his free hand at the blonde. "Yo."

"Kakashi-sensei!" His former student greeted him, jumping onto the roof he sat upon. "Haha! You haven't changed at all! Wait, oh yeah!" Naruto began to rummage through his back pocket. "Hey, hey! I have a present for you Kakashi-sensei!"

The copy-nin's expression said many things as he looked down upon his gift.

"Whhaaat?! You...h-how..th...this is..." Kakashi seemed to be unable to make a comprehendable sentence for that moment.

"This is the latest in the Icha Icha series after three years!" Naruto informed the jounin. "It's really boring, but I think you'll like it."

Jiraiya made a sour face._ 'Idiot. A kid like you wouldn't understand the beauty of that book. It's still an unreleased rare item too.'_

A few minutes later, the bumped into Sakura and Tsunade.

"AAAHHH!"

Everyone looked up, startled by the sudden yell.

Sakura turned with wide eyes to see the blonde gaping at her.

"S-Sakura-chan?!"

Surprise etched onto her adolescent face. "Eh? Naruto!?"

"What are you doing with the old hag?" Naruto questioned the pinkette, looking to the Hokage who looked ready to punch the brat's face in.

Sakura looked to her master, then back to Naruto with pink tinging her cheeks. "Uh, well. I'm sort of her apprentice."

The blonde reacted as dramatically as always. "Ehhh?! When did this happen?!"

She seemed to think for a moment. "About two or three years ago." The pinkette stared at the Uzumaki boy in slight amazement. He didn't look like the stupid brat she thought was ridiculously annoying when in the academy. He was taller and seemed a lot stronger.

Her respect for him grew in that moment. Maybe they'd be friends in the future.

"Naruto nii-chan!" A voice called.

Everyone gathered turned...

"Sexy no jutsu!"

To see a naked woman.

"Oh ho ho!"

"Huh!?"

"..."

"..."

Poof.

"How was that?! A real drool of a jutsu, wasn't it?!" Konohamaru grinned with his thumb up.

Naruto chuckled. "Konohamaru, I'm sorry but I'm not a kid anymore. From now on, you shouldn't use that jutsu either."

Sakura's respect for him grew even more.

"Such a jutsu is now mediocre, Konohamaru! Behold! The new perverted ninjutsu I've been developing! Here we goooo!" He roared with fierce (perverted) determination.

"Ah, a new ninjutsu? A new perv..."

Naruto smashed into the pavement.

"Perverted ninjutsu!? You idiot!" Sakura grabbed the blonde who was currently bleeding from his mouth by the collar and began to rant. "I was wrong! You're still the same goddamn idiot that you were in the academy! I haven't seen you for about three to four years and you haven't matured in the slightest!

"What about that wonderful respect I had for you just now! We could've been friends much faster if you weren't such a dimwit!"

"S-Sakura-chaaaaan!"

"Hey, hey. Haruno-san, calm down." Kakashi intervened, trying to calm the pink-haired kunoichi. "Konohamaru's terrified."

Sakura frowned. "Just Sakura, please." She stated, pushing Naruto away from her indignantly.

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Sakura-chan, then."

"Jiraiya...Naruto...has grown more and more like you in these past two years, hasn't he?" Tsunade stared exasperatedly at the scene before her.

The toad sannin made a face. _'That beauty and strength...It would seem as though you've raised another Tsunade, no?'_ Jiraiya thought accusingly, the pinkette too much like her master as Naruto was like his.

"Right, the nolstalgia, if there was any, ends here now. Kakashi." The Hokage called. Upon hearing his name, the copy-nin shut his book and glanced up.

"Well, it's been a while Naruto." Kakashi began. "From now on, the two of you will come with me on team-related missions. Yes you, Sakura-chan. It's different than a student-teacher relationship. Starting today, we're equal shinobis."

Sakura blinked as her new teammate brought out two bells. Naruto's face sunk at a distant memory when looking at those bells. Kakashi felt the same way, but hid it much better.

"Well...I'm curious as to how you've developed. The rules are the same as when I first met you, Naruto. Sakura, your goal is to get these bells with Naruto. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you will never succeed in getting the bells." He informed the two adolescents, who both gave confident smirks.

* * *

The three of them stood in the same training grounds that team seven once trained in.

"You have until sunrise tomorrow."

"Well, this place...I've missed it." Naruto commented, looking around.

Sakura glanced at him, but remained quiet.

"Ah, that's right. This is where you first trained, huh Naruto?" Kakashi opened his book.

"Team seven...three man team..." The blonde muttered.

"That time...Sasuke and Shiru were around too..." The jounin stated absent-mindedly, a feeling of sadness pricking his heart.

The two teenagers were silent for a moment, but then immediately the mood plummeted; surprising Kakashi.

Naruto was on the ground, grovelling in sorrow whilst Sakura looked down with a look of sorrow.

_'Oh, wow. Their names are taboo. Even for Sakura-chan apparently.'_ The silver-haired ninja noted with a deadpanned face. He shut his book with a loud thud, gaining their attention.

"Hehe." Naruto placed his hands behind his back. "You won't do it while reading the book this time, Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura pulled on her gloves with a determined face. "I wouldn't stand for it if my new teammates underestimated me."

"No, I think I'll save the enjoyment for later. I have this feeling I might need to be a little serious for this." Kakashi stated, pulling up his forehead protector from his eye to emphasis his sincerity.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at the sharingan. She had studied it before, but had never seen one up close.

_'Best not to look at it.'_

However many hours later.

She had no idea how long it had been, but it was finally over.

Who knew that the famous copy-nin had such a silly weakness?

Surprisingly, she and Naruto worked well together; as if they had done it many times before. Maybe it was the fact that their masters were once comrades on the battlefield.

* * *

Orochimaru watched with great interest as his two apprentices went head-to-head.

The damage to the environment was immense, but he merely cared about the blows they inflicted on each other.

The snake sannin's eyelids lowered slightly as his smile widened.

For the past few years, he had been able to create wonderful apprentices.

Shiru no longer showed any signs of emotional attachments as she had those first few months with the Uchiha. He, of course knew that she was slipping out of her shell at the time. Sasuke was too, it would seem.

So, of course he decided to use that against them. Shiru had the convenient little ability to be able to flush out emotions from her head. With enough reasoning, she would be able to completely remove her emotions.

She removed all the attachments she had built since her mission to Konohagakure.

And how much better had she become?

Her personality was already unappreciated by her peers, and with a Sasuke who had opened himself up to her, it was almost too perfect.

Sasuke, the poor dear was filled with hatred, newfound hatred for Shiru. Hatred for everything.

The Uchiha's curse of hatred was much stronger than he thought.

Made him that much more efficient.

As they grew, so did the distance.

What filled that gap was power.

Golden eyes watched as the redhead disappeared just as Sasuke brought down his chokuto that was engulfed in lightning, the ravenhead immediately turned to block the tachi engulfed in wind.

Lightning and wind clashed, their clothes and hair whipping around wildly.

Both held cold eyes that stared unwavering to the other whenever their eyes met. Though one was filled with dark hatred, the other was merely cool-headed yet willing to kill. But as per usual with their spars, Shiru's eyes were hidden behind a black cloth to negate the effects of the sharingan Sasuke had become so good at using.

Sasuke had greater stamina, since Shiru never slept and therefore almost always only had about two-and-a-half quarters out of four of energy. There in the fact that her seizures were a problem. Damaging her somewhere can randomly cause her whole body to freeze for a certain amount of time that varied between five seconds to three minutes. After those she would be close to exhaustion depending on the duration. A few seconds won't hurt, but a few seconds is enough to get hit again and have the same seizure. Despite that, Shiru was capable of moving around for long amounts of time, since Uzumaki blood did run through her. That also allowed her to survive otherwise fatal injuries as long as it didn't cause instant death.

It was revealed that if she sleeps for over two weeks, seizures were less common and if they did, they were only slight hindrances that lasted about a second. Unfortunately, Shiru developed the mechanism to forcefully wake her up once in a state of deep sleep. To ensure that if need be, she created a seal that would force her to sleep for a certain amount of time, and gain four times the amount of rest for every hour she was to remain asleep. She was still perfecting waking on demand, as Orochimaru had to forcefully and painfully wake her up from a two-week hibernation. The seal was the size of her thumb and resided at the back of her neck.

Though she had this weakness, she wasn't any less of a shinobi. Sasuke and Shiru's nature affinities were evenly matched. Sasuke's lightning was now on par with Shiru's wind, even though wind is naturally stronger than lightning. Their second affinities were virtually the same. Her water and against his fire. Both had impressive chakra reserves, with Shiru's only a few times larger but unable to use all of it due to lack of sleep; therefore stunting its recovery rate. She could use three quarters of her chakra reserves, and they would recover naturally without sleep; but the last quarter recovered at an incredibly slow rate due to the fact that Shiru's body received too much stress. Sleeping recovers the last quarter of the chakra, but only when she's in deep sleep. Since it takes far too long to recover that last bit without knocking herself out, she's been saving it for when she desperately needs it.

Her clan were renowned for being masters at fuinjutsu, and she herself had managed to become quite proficient at seals; being able to create new and complex seals that leave people flabbergasted. Unless you were Orochimaru, then they were relatively simple. The Uchiha knew fuinjutsu, but wasn't as skilled as the Uzumaki.

Her speed and reflexes were also better than the Uchiha, which was impressive considering the ravenhead's speed and reflexes were rather excellent; though her speed was stunted by her weights and made him faster than her when she wore them. Which was almost always, but without, she was faster.

Taijutsu was by far Shiru's strong suit, with Sasuke being better at ninjutsu and genjutsu.

Their bukijutsu was almost equal, with Sasuke being better as he used it more than she did. She tended to use seal bombs and others of the like. Though her choice of ninja tool was usually senbon when conserving chakra.

Sasuke was weaker in terms of kenjutsu despite his skill, Shiru able to maneuvre her tachi better. Shiru didn't use shurikenjutsu as Sasuke did, and was automatically weaker in that field.

Shiru and Sasuke both were two of the rare few who had two summon contracts. Both had the snake contract whilst Sasuke had the hawk contract and Shiru with the fox. The two generally used snakes against each other, but Sasuke would use hawks whilst Shiru seemed to refuse to summon the foxes. That usually gave him height advantage, but he was easy to spot and Shiru had the ability to sense him and other chakra signatures. Though she usually had to use long range to get to him, which hard considering she was a close combat to mid-combat fighter.

Speaking of which, the redhead's range in her Mind's Eye of the Kagura had increased, letting her see within a one-and-a-half kilometre radius. Apparently Karin's range was still larger than her own. That technique also allowed her to negate Sasuke's genjutsu if he were to put her in one. She used this whenever she didn't have time to place a cloth around her eyes.

Though Sasuke was a capable tracker, he stood no chance against Shiru who was superior in that field. She had no scent for him to track, surprisingly.

Both were intelligent and were equal in that field, though due to constant exposure to Shiru; a person whom he hates and reminds him of Itachi, he can often made rash and reckless decisions when she taunted him.

Which was often.

Orochimaru expected that they would be horrid when working together, but surprisingly they were a rather synchronised pair. Both were capable of well-timed combinations that included taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu. They were able to put aside their rivalry so to succeed with their missions.

Due to their volatile relationship, Sasuke was already plummeting much further into darkness faster than the sannin expected.

Shiru had no reaction whatsoever to that news. It was safe to say that she held no longer held any sentimentality; even of her past life, he assumed. She remained sarcastically witty, aloof, bored and uncaring whilst Sasuke was brooding, irritable, aloof and hateful.

In the years, the two of them had grown to become rather attractive people. Sasuke had become more handsome, becoming taller than Shiru by a few centimetres. His appearance had greatly attracted the attention of his female workers, though they knew to stay away from the volatile duo. Shiru was a beautiful person, no doubt. People knew she was, under those bangs. It was often her eyes that attracted people most, and as the years went by, the more they illuminated and reflected like a cold surface. They often thought the same thing with the Uchiha.

Apparently, beautiful people usually meant dangerous. That applied to many people of this world.

But of all things, did one greatly amuse him.

Both were afraid of a type of vegetable.

Shiru was deathly afraid of garlic.

Sasuke was deathly afraid of leeks.

It was absolutely ridiculous.

Though no one knew why Shiru feared them, Sasuke feared them due to the trauma he went through when the redhead was bored and decided to play with his head.

Therefore; two powerful shinobis that were apprentices to the great Orochimaru, were afraid of vegetables.

Ludicrous.

The two had stopped fighting to simply stare down at one another, before Shiru sighed and got bored.

That was when the snake sannin decided to intervene.

"Shiru-chan, Sasuke-kun." He called softly, appearing before them and earning their rather heartless eyes. He smiled at the two. "I have a mission for you both."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his master, knowing he'd have to work with her again.

Shiru just didn't care.

"I'd like you to gather these people from their locations and bring them back to me within a week." He handed them the paper with the information on the people he wanted to subject to his experimentations, and disappeared.

"Smaller villages, first?" Shiru asked impassively, staring at the photo of a boy with blindingly green hair. _'Was that natural?'_

She heard the Uchiha's click his tongue in annoyance, and then his reluctant reply. "Yeah. It'll be quicker that way. Let's go."

Then the two were gone in a puff of smoke.

* * *

**Is it short? I don't know. I finally finished it. Now I can sleep. Reviews are love...reviews are life. -Cough- I have art of Shiru on my profile.  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**I quite do believe I'm on a roll this week. Chapter after chapter. Not sure if the next one will be so quick. Enjoy. Check out thine art on thine profile of Shiru.  
**

* * *

Sasuke kicked the body guard in the chest with enough force for a sickening crack to echo as the body smashed into the cement wall. He caught the kunai flung at his head, then twirled it and threw it back with a mere glance.

Not even a minute later, the body guards were dead and the Uchiha was clean of all filth. Shiru showed up with a small boy only moments later, blue eyes wide with fear and sticking close to the redhead woman. Looking at them made Sasuke scowl. The younger kids at the hideouts all loved Shiru for some godforsaken reason he couldn't fathom.

Her eyes connected with his, a silent communication that both knew well. They were gone from the village by the time reinforcements arrived.

Two days and they'd already retrieved most of their targets. They were all placed in scrolls to make it easier than to return to the hideout every time.

Sasuke glanced at the redhead who was currently conversing with a man to find out information on their next target.

Whenever he looked at her, his face would scrunch up and his chest would hurt. Why his chest still hurt whenever he did was beyond him, but it pissed him off even more; fueling more hatred for the woman.

He was stronger now, much stronger that he was on par with her now. And yet...she still looked at him as if he was the same boy from the academy. Stupid woman.

She turned and began to walk away, not even bothering to glance back at him. His tongue clicked and he pushed off the fence as he began to follow her, catching up with her easily as she placed her hands in her pockets.

Dear god, even that irked him. Everything she did irked him.

"You're attracting too much attention, brat." She stated impassively, glancing to the woman who cowered away from the two because of the strong killing intent radiating off the Uchiha.

His scowl deepened. "You still call me a brat and yet you're only eighteen." He growled as they turned a corner.

The slightest of smirks formed on her face. "That's how old my body is, brat." She didn't elaborate when his narrowed his eyes in confusion, and that pissed him off even more. How pissed could one get?

He wanted to insult her, but they were interrupted by the gruff-looking man who opened their door to see two teenagers. The old man narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What do you want?" He asked cautiously, hiding behind his door as his head peeked out.

It took a second for Sasuke to realise that Shiru had snapped the man's neck and dropped him carelessly on the floor, he frowned at the unnecessary death, but followed her in and looked through the house to find the child.

_'She's so much like Itachi, that it disgusts me.'_ He snarled in his head. Sasuke was many things, but he didn't kill when it wasn't required. It would mean stooping to Itachi's and Shiru's level.

The redhead didn't bother to clarify her actions, knowing that the Uchiha's face of disgust was because of his habit to avoid deaths if it was possible. The man she had just killed was a murderer, just like her. He reeked of blood and sex, the latter being rather recent. No one else but their target was in the house, meaning that old man was having sex with a child.

Disgusting cur.

When Sasuke found the girl in the end room, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of her.

She was huddled in the far corner of the room, naked and bruised; bleeding in some areas. Her dull brown hair was disheveled and her grey eyes were wide with unimaginable fear when they looked up at her. She was only about ten.

Shiru pushed him out of the way, making him grunt and glare at her angrily as she ignored him and walked straight towards the girl who began to scream irrationally.

"He's dead." The stoic woman stated, making the small girl pause.

"Is...he really?" She asked in a small voice that was hoarse from what sounded like hours of screaming.

"Yes. He won't hurt you anymore, but I will not deny that the place we will take you is pain free. You won't be raped in the very least." Shiru informed the girl who brought out a scroll. Sasuke was surprised.

He was a pedophilic rapist? Oh, shit.

The girl was knocked out and placed in a scroll after the redhead placed a blanket over her body. Cold as she was, she wasn't a completely heartless person like the Uchiha now believed. No...she had emotions.

"Let's go."

When she glanced at him and he made eye contact with her, he could've sworn there was something in her eyes that looked as if sorrow had consumed her. But it was gone the instant he saw it. His heart clenched horribly and he again didn't know why.

He shook his head violently. Shiru had no emotions. She made that clear all those years ago. She wouldn't have any now.

"Fine." He ground out and they were gone.

* * *

"From now on, the four of us are off on a mission. But look at you...there's no time to toss you all in a cage and get used to each other. So introduce yourselves." Yamato stated with a frown.

The blonde made a sour face. "Uzumaki Naruto."

The pinkette made an even worse face. "Haruno Sakura."

"My name is Sai." Introduced the ANBU boy, the transparent smile irking his new teammates.

"Well, now that we know each other, that's the end of that. Now, I'll explain your mission." Yamato nodded. "From here, the four of us will proceed to the Tenchi bridge. There we will intercept the spy Akatsuki has in Orochimaru's organisation and bring them back. This is a chance for us to find out about Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto looked appalled. "What about Shiru?!" He demanded.

Yamato raised his eyebrows. "Shiru? You mean Uzumaki Shiru, your cousin?"

"Yes!"

"She was a spy, she's not a priority." The team leader stated nonchalantly. The blonde was irritated at the way he blatantly insulted her.

"We're taking both Shiru and Sasuke back, dammit!" Naruto roared adamantly.

Yamato sighed. "If we encounter her, we can try, alright?"

"Yes." Naruto beamed.

"Anyway, we can gain a valuable source of information which may lead to formulating a plan to assassinate Orochimaru and take Uchiha Sasuke back. So keep focused. We will assemble at the front gate in one hour. After sorting our equipment, we will depart." Yamato informed them professionally as they nodded.

On the walk to their houses, Naruto grumbled.

"I just really can't stand that asshole Sai! Why is he taking Sasuke's place? Three people is enough for team Kakashi."

Sakura looked down. "But Naruto, wouldn't that mean I'm replacing Shiru?"

Naruto gaped at her, before realising that he was implying that too. "Oh, shit! I'm sorry Sakura-chan! I don't mind you being on the same team! You're really awesome compared to the asshole Sai, so...you know..."

The pinkette gave him a strained smile. "That's alright. I understand that you two were family."

The blonde's shoulders sunk. "Yeah..."

An hour later and they were assembled.

Sai looked too fake with that smile whilst Naruto and Sakura made faces of disapproval.

"Right then! Team Kakashi departs!"

* * *

Shiru gave a disgusted look at the sight before her.

"What the fuck is this shit?"

Sasuke shared the look. He didn't bother to answer.

"They just had to surround themselves in...in..."

"Leeks..." Sasuke shuddered.

"Get your hawk, we're flying over this shit."

"On it."

Because Shiru had never revealed it to Sasuke that she was afraid of garlic for obvious purposes, he was led to believe she was afraid of them as well after the incident that caused his trauma.

How wrong he was.

Two of the targets were in this village.

They would return after.

Shiru's face was fierce as she was still able to smell the garlic from the sky.

* * *

They had just returned, when Orochimaru, Kabuto and someone new entered the hideout.

The giant snake ornament with candles as eyes were behind them as Sasuke sat on the ledge and she leaned on it with a book in her hand.

"Who's that?" Sasuke questioned, referring to Sai.

"You fail to mind your mouth, as always." Kabuto said with a disapproving tone.

"Hm, this? He's a shinobi from Konoha, just like you. I figured you could bathe yourself in nostalgia." Orochimaru purred. "I trust you gathered all my guinea pigs?"

Sai's eyes were hard as he stared at the two dark figures ahead of him.

Sharingan eyes and emerald eyes illuminated against the darkness.

"Greetings, my name is Sai. You must be Uchiha Sasu-"

"Get lost."

Sai sighed. "Even when I force myself to smile, it seems I'm always the person who ends up being hated...and Naruto didn't seem to care much for me the whole time too..."

"I suppose it could be because your smile is disgusting." Shiru's voice surprised Sai.

_'So it was a female...'_ Sai deduced.

He heard the sound of a snort from the Uchiha.

"So, then. Would you happen to know Naruto?" Sai questioned the female.

Emerald eyes glanced at him. "He happens to be my distant cousin. I would assume he's still trying to 'save' us?"

The ROOT-nin's face went blank._ 'This is Uzumaki Shiru?'_

"He's been looking for you both all this time."

"Idiot." Shiru muttered, closing the book in her hands and placing it in her back pocket. "Either way, we're meant to be training now."

"Exactly." The Uchiha stood up. "We're going, Orochimaru..."

"Naruto considers you two...his true family."

"Tch. As far as family is concerned, I only have one family member...and he's the one I want to kill." Sasuke stated ominously.

The mood was ruined by Shiru's snort. "You're a hateful brat whilst your brother is an elite. The only way you'd kill him is if he let you." She taunted, and soon the snake head behind them smashed as her form disappeared.

"Come back here!" Sasuke disappeared in a whirl of smoke, following after her.

The ANBU teen blinked at their volatile relationship.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Anyhow, I'll be leaving too." He brought out an envelope and handed it to Kabuto. "Kabuto, use these to compile a data book."

Kabuto opened the letter whilst the sannin began to walk away. "These are...ANBU. The Hokage's personal troop division...these are copies of the profiles of its members." He took a look at Yamato's profile. "And they would seem to be the real thing."

* * *

"It's time to rescue Sasuke!"

"It'd be better if you gave up now..." A tied up Sai muttered. "I met Sasuke-kun, and Shiru."

This information surprised Naruto and Sakura.

"Orochimaru is always with them, if you continue to go after them, the best you'll manage is to be torn to pieces and turned into guinea pigs. It's bad enough Orochimaru can use his bones as weapons." Sai blinked. "You said that you cared about them as if they were your own family, but they said they don't even care anymore...and despite that...do you really intend to go up against Orochimaru of all people, just for them...you're going to put your line on the line to bring them back? Shiru would die anyway since she's originally not from Konoha." Sai frowned. "But why? It's not like you've been ordered to do this."

Naruto gave a sort of strained smile. "Way back when, I used to hate Sasuke. I used to dislike Shiru-chan. But once I got used to them, I realised they were a lot of fun to be around. They were the people who accepted me and my existence. They're my friends and they represent the bonds that I waited so long to receive...so that's why..."

Sai looked up at the blonde in awe. "Bonds..." His face when sullen. "Still, that's not much reason...not if it means facing someone like Orochimaru."

Naruto grinned. "If my arms get ripped off, I'll kick them to death. If my legs get ripped off, I'll bite them to death. If my head gets ripped off, I'll just stare them to death. And if my eyes get ripped out, I'll curse them to death."

This surprised the seemingly emotionless ANBU.

"Even if it means getting ripped to pieces, I'm going to take back Sasuke and Shiru from Orochimaru no matter what!"

There was a silence as they all took in Naruto's determination.

"Once my clone's ready, we're going." Yamato informed them.

The three of them all looked up in alarm as a rain of kunai came down upon them. They dodged with relative ease as Kabuto appeared in front of Sai.

"Sai...judging from your situation...I suppose this means you were captured." The bespectacled medic commented. He moved to Sai's side and used his infamous chakra scalpel to cut the wood. "Since it seems you haven't betrayed us, I'll trust you for now..."

Sakura frowned. "This guy just doesn't give up."

"If you two are going to get in my way, then I'm not going to hold back!" Naruto exclaimed with a determined expression.

Sai stared at the blonde.

Two shadow clones were standing vertically along the wall above Kabuto and Sai, creating the rasengan and pushing off.

The medic-nin's face remained straight as he kicked the clone. "So pointless..."

"Fights aren't decided 'til the very end, and we're just getting started!" Naruto roared.

Kabuto smiled. "No, no. That's not what I'm talking about...watching you makes me truly feel pity. People change, Sasuke is no longer the Sasuke you used to know. I'm still not sure how you think Shiru cares."

The medic-nin was surprised when Sai restricted his movements. "What the?! What are you doing!"

"You say people change, and here I am."

"What?"

"But there are also things that don't change...bonds...I want to see what they're really made of."

"Sai!" Yamato called. "Keep him still, just like that."

Sakura wondered just how much Naruto intended to go for Sasuke and Shiru.

_'He left on his own free will, how does he not see that...? Shiru never cared, either...'_

* * *

Shiru turned to glance at the door as it opened fully, since it would be pointless to sneak when Sai was already noticed.

The Uchiha was on the bed with his eyes shut, but he knew who it was. "You again..." His cheek was cut and his lip was bleeding. Shiru appeared to have no injuries on the little amount of skin she did so.

"What do you want?" Shiru questioned Danzo's little worker.

"I intend to...take you two back to Konoha! Although I did originally come here to kill you both, seeing as another ROOT member failed to do so for you, Shiru-san, all those years ago."

The Uzumaki's eyes narrowed slightly. "I thought so, but do you really think you can handle the two of us on your own?"

"I want to see if I can protect the bonds between you and him."

Sasuke closed eye twitched. "You woke me up to talk about bonds?"

Shiru sighed. _'I'm glad we're not in the same hideout where my room is full of important shit.'_ She disappeared as Sasuke decided to use his wrath.

As the room exploded and the sun was revealed, Sai was among the rubble as Sasuke and Shiru stood at the edge of the Uchiha's destruction.

"You live up to your jutsu...to be able to overpower my jutsu is quite something." Sai commented as he stood up and raised his eyes to look up at the two figures.

Shiru blinked as a head of pink sudden entered the scene.

"You! What the hell are you after?! How many times do you have to stab us in the back before you're happy?!" Sakura ranted.

"What's this?"

Upon hearing that voice, Sakura froze. _'No...no. That voice.'_ Slowly, she turned towards it. Her eyes widened as she released Sai.

"Sasuke-kun..."

She could only see Sasuke._ 'No...no. What happened to my resolve all those years ago? I thought I was over this crush of mine...'_

Not too soon after, Naruto appeared; looking worse for wear.

Sasuke and Shiru merely stared down at them.

There was a tense silence.

"Sasuke...Shiru..."

"Naruto? So you came too." Sasuke muttered impassively.

Yamato came out into the clearing as well.

"We, team Kakashi, are going to be taking you back to Konoha."

The Uchiha stared. "Team Kakashi, huh?"

Sai unsheathed his blade.

"Sai! I knew it!" Sakura exclaimed in alarm.

"So her and him are our replacements, then? He was spouting some kind of nonsense about protecting the bonds between Naruto and us." Sasuke elaborated with a bored expression. Shiru merely placed her hands in her pockets.

"At least you can think for yourself now, right?" Shiru finally spoke up, albeit sarcastically, earning their eyes. "But you don't understand bonds very well, do you?"

"True..." Sai admitted. "But you two should know why."

"Sure, I did know and that's why I severed them." Sasuke stated with such bluntness it shocked the blonde and pinkette. "I have other bonds I carry. Bonds forged through hate." His eyes shifted to Shiru momentarily, but looked away just as quickly when the pain in his chest acted up.

_'Every damn time...'_

"Having too many bonds causes one to lose their focus, weakening their strongest wish, their greatest desire." The Uchiha elaborated further.

"Hurry up." Shiru spoke, though only Sasuke could hear her. The ravenhead merely frowned and nodded slightly, moving with speed to appear in front of Naruto.

_'He's fast...'_ Yamato noted.

Sasuke unsheathed his chokuto, ready to take down Naruto. Unfortunately, Sai got in the way by grasping the Uchiha's wrist.

"You choice of defense...quite correct." He noted.

Naruto and Yamato decided to make their moves, but the Uchiha didn't allow them to cause any harm.

Chidori Nagashi!

The three of them were forced back as a barrier of electricity surrounded the Uchiha.

Sakura steeled herself as she pushed off towards Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun! I'm going to stop you with my own power!"

With his sharingan activated, the ravenhead's eyes looked even more dangerous when they narrowed slightly.

Lightning enveloped his chokuto, and he swung it at the pink-haired girl he didn't remember at all, but she seemed to remember him.

Yamato intervened, but the kunai in his hand broke upon contact with the blade and he was pierced in his left shoulder. He was pinned against a large bit of rubble.

"Your choice in defense, quite the mistake."

"Yamato-taichou!" Sakura called.

"You seem to have forgotten about me." Shiru's voice was but a whisper in the pinkette's ear, and it startled the latter. She was unable to turn around before a painful force smashed into Sakura's side and was sent flying into the rubble.

The female medic-nin smashed her head against a rock and was effectively knocked out.

"Sakura!" Yamato yelled his teammate's name despite going numb.

"Still as useless as I remember." The redhead stated as she appeared a metre or so away from Yamato and Sasuke, her demeaning simply screaming boredom with her hands in her pockets.

The two apprentices' eyes shifted to Naruto, who seemed to have regained consciousness and was currently with feral features.

Shiru remained silent as the Uchiha made it into Naruto's mind.

_'Quite the boring reunion.'_

She jumped when realising Yamato was making his move, and both the Uchiha and female Uzumaki escaped the wooden prison they were placed in, landing back at the edge.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called up to Sasuke, his features returned to normal. "Why don't you get it?! Your body's going to be stolen anytime now by Orochimaru! And Shiru! Why are you with him?!"

The ravenhead stared. Shiru clicked her tongue.

"If that happens..." He finally replied. "Then it happens. You're still quite the kid...Naruto. Revenge means everything to me. As long as I can have my revenge, I could not care less about what happens to me or the rest of the world for that matter. Let me make it clear for you. For both me and Orochimaru, killing Itachi would be impossible right now. But if I am able to accomplish my goals through nothing more than offering Orochimaru this body of mine, then he can have my life and my afterlife for the matter."

"You don't know me, Naruto." The redhead commented bluntly. "I was the one who asked to be Orochimaru's apprentice, I was the one who accepted to recruit Sasuke. All on my own. I don't need rescuing, you brat."

Her words shocked them. So blunt. So cruel. One thing was for sure in Sai's and Yamato's mind.

_'They don't care for Naruto at all.'_

"We're done talking." Shiru stated, but her tone was irritated; her annoyance at talking during a fight rising up again. "We can't kill them, so let's just leave."

Sasuke glanced to her, but then looked away. "Why?"

"Ask Kabuto."

And as if on que, the snake sannin as well as Kabuto showed up.

"You know quite well what the Akatsuki are up to, we want to have our guests here from Konoha, if that pink-haired one isn't dead, take care of as many of them as possible. Even just one would be fine." Kabuto explained, standing beside Shiru and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Whilst Shiru didn't bother to care about the contact, something about the action irked Sasuke greatly as his eyes narrowed at it.

"Let's go."

The four of them disappeared into smoke that carried in the wind.

* * *

"You're staring." Shiru stated bluntly as the Uchiha scowled and looked away.

"I was not." He denied as the redhead stood on the surface of the water and silently and quickly went through handsigns that created water pillars around her and the Uchiha.

"Oh?" She muttered softly, the pillars beginning to spin wildly. Sasuke used his lightning to empower the water pillars, making the pillars become more wild until water mixed with lightning began to fly everywhere around them. "I thought I definitely felt your eyes staring."

"You're wrong."

The lightning-water that spat everywhere smashed into various objects, destroying the material it touched.

They stopped the technique, the electricity removed from the water before it was brought back down onto the river.

"Tsundere." Shiru deadpanned, her form disappearing just as the chokuto swung at her.

"I am _not_ a tsundere!" Sasuke growled, looking to the redhead who appeared a few metres in front of him, the slightest of smirks plastered on her lips.

"That's how a tsundere would say it, brat." She taunted.

"You're dead." He stated, pushing off the water and sprinting towards her.

Red eyes watched with interest from the forest.

The boy from all those years ago, who had met Shiru-sama and...Sasuke-sama the day he arrived.

Mamoru was fourteen, with midnight hair, crimson eyes and tanned skin. He bore a scar along his left cheek, rubbing it absently as he watched the ongoing fight between his two superiors.

But they were stuck on a certain redhead, who moved with speed and grace, face free from the ugly frown the Uchiha was sporting.

For years, he'd admired her. For years, his eyes followed her.

He was seven when she'd found him amongst the rubble of his village. A mere girl had destroyed his pathetic excuse of a village for Orochimaru.

She accepted him.

He was hers to command. Yet she never did anything to him.

His mind reeled back to the day he first met her.

_The small boy trembled as his brother was murdered by a small girl, her eyes cold and uncaring as they looked to him._

_He merely closed his eyes when she approached him, her sword about to cut him._

_When he felt nothing, his eyes opened in confusion._

_A deep red surrounded him like a barrier, preventing her from getting close to him._

_She blinked, before sheathing her sword; much to his confusion._

_The girl reached out her bloodied hand, and he stared at it._

_"I won't kill you." Her soft voice informed him._

_When he looked around, there was nothing but destruction. What did he have to lose?_

_Reluctantly, he raised his hand to grasp hers; the barrier around him now shifting to protect her too. He stood, wobbling slightly as she turned and began to lead him to her master._

_His crimson eyes widened at the snake sannin who merely looked intrigued._

_"What do you have here, Shiru-chan?" He questioned the small girl with a purr. The small boy shrunk closer to the girl._

_"I couldn't kill him." She replied impassively. "He seems to have some kind of barrier that protect him and those he has contact with."_

_"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "How interesting. What do you plan to do with the boy?"_

_"I was assuming you'd decide." She admitted honestly. He whimpered slightly._

_The sannin hummed in thought. "I'll experiment, but he can be yours to command. Yes?"_

_Shiru glanced to the boy, who looked up at her with wide eyes. "Your name?"_

_"I...I don't have one." He revealed in a tiny voice._

_"Mamoru."_

_He looked up._

_"That's your name, okay? You'll be under Orochimaru's command from now on, and I will be your superior. Understand?"_

_"I...yes!"_

_"Good."_

"Mamoru."

Upon hearing his name, Mamoru jumped out of his thoughts to see the pair of eyes he treasured.

"Shiru-sama! What can I do to help you?" He asked, straightening up immediately.

She was drenched in water like the Uchiha next to her, both sporting various injuries. Unfortunately, Sasuke looked worse since his chest was openly exposed; giving her easier access to cut him.

Onyx eyes stared hard at the servant boy who idolised the second person he hated.

_'Tch. Stupid brat. What does he see in her?'_ He scoffed in thought. It was obvious that the boy who was only a year or two younger than him was adamantly infatuated with Uzumaki Shiru.

"Let's go." She stated, beginning to walk off.

"Yes!" Mamoru called, but before he followed his master, he turned and glared at the Uchiha who in return; glared back.

_'Hmph. Brat. Wait, wasn't he the same kid I saw when I first came here?'_

* * *

"Why are we still sharing rooms?" Sasuke growled, cursing when Yujin managed to bite his hand. "Agh, damn fox. Piss off."

"You brat, learn some manners." Yujin spoke with a youthful male voice, his form older and larger; reaching Shiru's shoulder now. He also sported four tails. "Shiru-hime is my beloved, stop being so bratty."

The Uchiha made an irritated face. "What the hell is with you all? She's an emotionless woman who cares nothing for you!"

Yujin growled, moving into an offensive position. "You've been with her all these years and yet you still know nothing. Your hatred blinds you, brat. Don't insult her as if you know."

"Enough." Shiru stated, earning both their attention. "It's not his fault he's a hateful brat with the inability to see underneath the underneath."

The Uchiha scowled. "I know that you don't give a shit about me."

She glanced at him. "Obviously."

Ouch. That hurt more than he thought. He didn't dare let it show on his face.

"But I'm not emotionless like you believe, Uchiha. I have emotions, just you're not worthy of seeing them."

Yujin snorted, moving to his master's side and nudging her side with his head. "Souji-chan says that you'll need to be reverse summoned to Shinkyo once they're ready."

Shiru leaned against the counter as she played with Yujin's blue fur, much to his delight. Sasuke had to prevent himself from snarling. "They're willing to teach me sage mode? Honestly? Am I even capable of learning it?"

"I would assume so. You're the only contractor who's still alive, and so we want to teach you all we can. The last human who mastered sage mode was over one hundred years ago." Yujin stated, biting the apple Shiru had given him. "But we're still preparing, so it will be a while before you can."

"I see." The redhead merely murmured. _'I hadn't truly believed them when they stated that foxes had sage mode. Better than snakes, I suppose. Too much Orochimaru is bad.'_

Sasuke ignored them, lying down on the bed and getting to sleep.

"Clean up your wounds, your filth is all over my bed."

"Tch. You don't even use the bed."

"It's still mine, brat."

"Hag."

"Amusing. Tsundere."

"What?!"

"Hm? Are you going to follow me in the shower? How crude."

Sasuke clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Shut up."

Shiru possessed two seals that were on her hands, gathering chakra as time went by. They took quite some time to figure out, but it was worth it in the end. Seeing as her attire hadn't really changed, only with size measurements, she still showed barely any skin.

She washed herself leisurely, unable to feel the terribly cold water splashing down on her.

Resting her head against the smooth wall, she sighed, closing her eyes.

No. Uzumaki Shiru was not emotionless.

She possessed emotions much like anyone else did.

She could feel angry, happy, sad, amused, etc.

She was just one of those people who rarely showed it. After that person betrayed her, she never laughed. She couldn't. She locked all the emotions that would get her attached away.

_'I'm still human.'_ The redhead sighed.

The Uzumaki girl was tired. Mentally. Physically. Everything was tiring.

She felt nothing when looking at the Uchiha. She felt nothing when looking at Naruto.

She felt at peace with Yujin, Wakai, Orudo and her other summons.

She felt nothing when looking at Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Mamoru was someone she felt nothing but obligation towards. She was his master, and he was hers to command. He wanted her to.

Shiru couldn't let anyone into her heart.

She knew Sasuke felt something, something other than hate whenever he looked at her. The way he winced when looking at her as if he was in pain. He didn't know it himself.

She wasn't sure how he was meant to react. He was slightly different to his canon self, more hot-headed around her.

She smirked as she remembered all the times he blatantly denied her claims of looking at her.

Tsundere.

"Get out already, I want to take a shower." The Uchiha banged against the door.

"Yujin."

"Ow! Damn fox!"

"It hasn't even been ten minutes and you expect a woman to finish showering in that time?"

"Tch."

Shiru sighed._ 'At least I don't grow unwanted body hair for some insane reason. The pain of shaving would be...not even going to think about it. I should probably trim my hair soon. I'll get Kabuto to cut it since he's more proficient.'_

* * *

**I couldn't typing about Naruto and all their development. Pscht. We just have to read the manga for that shit. Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre. It's official. I'm keeping that after every chapter. Ha.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow. Some deep shit happened this chapter. Ah, welp. Support. Loving it. Thank you. Do hope you enjoy. I have art of Mamoru on my profile, for any who are curious about his appearance.  
**

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Orochimaru was feeling rather livid.

Kabuto was...unreadable.

The Oto-nin coughed harshly as he gripped his pierced stomach. Kabuto did nothing, for he was going to die anyway.

"S...Shi-Shiru-sama has betrayed you..." They were the unknown man's last words.

Before them, was over a hundred of the snake sannin's subordinates.

Dead.

Clean instant kills apart from that particular man who seemed to stumble upon the sight, as the bodies were at least a couple hours old.

The Uchiha frowned in distaste.

_'What a waste of lives. Expected of her.'_

Orochimaru knew Shiru was very much capable of betraying him, but after years of her being in his service; it was slightly disbelieving.

_'Why now of all times?'_ Kabuto frowned, pushing up his glasses. _'Could it be from...'_

When the medic-nin had come to cut the woman's hair upon her request, something peculiar happened.

She panicked.

Her emotions were running wild, her killing intent was overwhelming and she was panicking like no other.

She was crying, and he had to admit she looked rather ethereal when she did. But the part where she was losing all sense of control downtoned that by quite a lot.

Of course, Kabuto was rather startled and unsure of how to process it all; but she knocked him out before he could do anything.

When he awoke next, and then saw her; she was fine.

That had been three weeks ago.

He hadn't seen her after that.

And apparently neither did Orochimaru or Sasuke.

_'The barriers Orochimaru set up around her head must've collapsed...'_ Kabuto theorised.

Shiru didn't know, but Orochimaru had been tampering with her emotions for quite some time. She already rejected emotions, but with his influence it was much stronger and much easier to discard them. She had thought it was normal, but it was definitely not.

That day, the wall must've fallen and she was just...overwhelmed by the emotions that she didn't want.

She just had to pick the worst timing to finally betray him as well.

Kimimaro's body had already begun reject him at an alarming rate, and he was in a weakened state enough as it was.

Sasuke was more than likely going to betray him soon.

"What...do we do?" Kabuto asked unsurely, glancing to the snake sannin who had surprisingly been quiet for a long amount of time.

"It's unfortunate that Shiru-chan has betrayed us..." Orochimaru started softly, though his eyes were hard and murderous. "I'm in no condition to deal with her. Sasuke-kun," He turned to the Uchiha who silently glanced at him, "you deal with her. After all, you have wanted to kill her for such a long time."

Kabuto's eyes widened. He knew the sannin never truly cared about Shiru, but after all those years she worked for him...heh. Expected. Though the medic couldn't deny that sadness pricked at his heart at the thought. He had liked the redhead even if her manners were poor.

Oh, well.

Sasuke disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

"When he gets back, we'll do the ritual." Orochimaru hissed.

"I'll go get your medicine."

* * *

Mamoru growled as an Oto-nin brought their sword down onto his barrier, swiftly using handsigns to change the shape of the barrier. It changed into a dragon's mouth and engulfed the shinobi surrounding him, pressing down and effectively crushing them whilst still being protected.

_'Got to love kekkai genkai.'_ The black-haired teen smirked. The smirk fell when his eyes landed on the back of his master, crimson eyes shining in worry.

"Shiru-sama!" He called, running up to the female. When she turned, she looked mentally and physically exhausted. When she came to him that day, her entire demeanour broken; he instantly ran to her side.

She apologised multiple times for thinking nothing of him all this time, and he merely shrugged it off. He would continue following her no matter what.

Her eyes softened when landing on him, making him light up like a lantern.

"Are...uhm, are you finished visiting Juugo-san, Shiru-sama?" He asked bashfully, chuckling awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes." She replied softly, her voice was hoarse and husky; as if she had been screaming for a long time. "Let's go visit Karin before Sasuke catches up."

Upon hearing the Uchiha's name, Mamoru's face turned into a fierce scowl.

"Who cares about that tsundere? I could protect you with my barrier anyway." He huffed, defiant as they began to walk.

Shiru's eyes went blank. "It's sad that even with all these conflicting emotions, I still feel barely a thing for him." She whispered, making her companion's ear twitch. "It's not fun feeling guilty for being unable to care."

"You shouldn't feel guilty!" Mamoru exclaimed, grabbing Shiru's hand and pulling her down closer to his height. He was up to her breasts. "He's the idiot who got attached to you, he knew you! And yet he liked you anyway! He should've known he would get hurt!"

Shiru sighed, brushing her fingers against the younger teen's scarred cheek. "You're right...I'm sorry. Thank you." She gave him a tired smile, to which he beamed brightly.

"I'll be your barrier, Shiru-sama. Always." The look in his dark eyes made her inclined to believe it, though she frowned.

She ran her hand through his messy back hair, making him shiver at the contact. "Don't make me regret trusting you...Mamoru." Her tone surprised him.

It was pleading. Begging for him to not cause her anymore pain.

"You won't regret it..." He whispered, then removed his shirt and startling her at the sudden action. The boy was rather fit. "I swear upon this seal, Shiru-sama." His hand went to the seal on his chest that she placed on him long ago, above his heart. "My heart, my soul, my very being...belongs to you."

Her eyes were unreadable as she stared at the seal over his heart. The seal that binded him to her.

Even if he betrayed her trust, she could easily get rid of him...slight guilt pricked at her conscious. Mamoru devoted himself to her, and she was still untrustful of him; thinking how easy it could be to rid of him...moronic emotions.

He seemed to know what she was thinking, and grasped her hand; placing her palm against the seal on his chest. His eyes narrowed up at her, his crimson eyes daring her emerald ones to look away.

"If I ever betray you, Shiru-sama. Kill me. I will gladly accept whatever fate you give me. You're the reason I am alive today, and I wish for you to be the reason why I die."

Shiru stared long and hard at her companion, before sighing and chuckling softly.

"Alright."

* * *

Sasuke's face was dark.

He would finally be able to kill her. Some part of him cheered for it. Another part pained him.

His heart kept clenching painfully at the thought of killing her, hell knows why.

He wanted to kill her, but then he wanted her alive.

It was annoying and troublesome.

_'Stupid woman.'_ The Uchiha shook his head as he jumped from tree to tree. _'I'll kill her, then maybe this pain will go away.'_

Unfortunately, he couldn't find her at all.

She had visited multiple hideouts from the amounts of bodies lying around, and it was recent; but she was gone.

He breathed in the air, smelling strawberries.

Shiru had no scent, but...that brat always smelled of strawberries because he was the one who got them for her.

_'So he tagged along with her, huh? Tch, moron.'_ He jumped, following the scent of strawberries into the forest; but it cut off abruptly.

His eyes narrowed as he landed in the spot where it suddenly disappeared. He looked up.

_'They must've gone by sky...but Shiru doesn't have a flying summon...does that brat?'_

Either way, Shiru's trail was gone.

_'Tch, I'll deal with her later.'_ He inwardly scoffed._ 'She picked a convenient time to betray him, it makes things tedious now, but Orochimaru is weak.'_

The ravenhead jumped.

_'I wonder what she would do if she didn't betray him and I went to kill him.'_

* * *

"Whoa!" Mamoru eyes widened at the majestic sight of Shinkyo. It was a mountainous region that was decorated with the remains of seemingly giant creatures, and it was the home of the fox summons.

The crimson-eyed teen and his beloved Shiru-sama had been reverse-summoned to the home of the foxes as their safe haven. No one else could enter this place. At least, not without being threatened to be eaten by the residents.

Yujin nudged his master affectionately, his voice humming in delight as she scratched behind his ear. They were currently seated atop the main mountain where the Great Fox Sage inhabited and where most of the foxes seemed to gather.

The foxes all varied greatly in appearance and personality. Some stood on two feet and used their front feet as hands, they tended to be the medical foxes. Some had three tails, some had seven. Some were as small as Mamoru's head, some were as large as trees.

Mamoru took back all the remarks about Yujin's size, then.

The four-tailed fox licked Shiru's cheek, causing the usually stoic female to smile warmly at the animal; albeit small.

_'Don't get jealous of a fox. Don't get jealous of a fox.'_ Shiru's follower chanted in his head, moving his mind into a meditive state. Man, he wanted to see that smile directed at him.

Emerald eyes shifted to the elder grey fox who emerged from one of the cave openings, causing the surrounding chatter to cease in respect.

He was a rather large fox, being four times the size of Shiru, but nothing compared to Kurama.

His eyes were a deep brown that looked as if he had seen many battles. He sat in front of the two humans, not even sparing the smaller one a glance and merely staring directly at Shiru; gauging her.

She blinked once, but never left his eyes even though she was incredibly tired and merely wanted to close her eyes. Respect was already established.

"Aki." He spoke, his voice deep and sounding as though he would be in his late fourties.

"Uzumaki Shiru." She replied. "Mamoru."

The boy next to her nodded, and Aki gave him a sparing glance before returning it to Shiru.

Yujin, out of respect, merely sat beside the redhead in silence.

"We have made the necessary preparations for you to learn sage mode, but first; you need to learn how to control your emotions." Aki informed her, watching her critically.

Shiru frowned slightly, but nodded. "I understand."

"Good. In order for you to learn it, you need to be able to accept your inner demons. You're obviously not at peace at the moment, and you attempt to learn sage mode now...you'll surely die the moment you try."

A sigh escaped her mouth, but she merely nodded.

Aki quite liked her, she was much better than that fellow from those years ago. "I've also noted your physical condition is quite horrible." He noted, his ability to analyse physical conditions coming to use.

She winced slightly, but stared at him to know she was listening.

"The medic foxes can help you with that, expel all those unnatural chemicals from your body and ease your mind and body to allow you to sleep. This will take some time, and will be very painful. We will teach you if you are ready. Are you?"

"Whatever I need to do to...become better than I am now...then I'm willing." She replied softly, but her eyes were resolute. "I don't like the way I am now." Yujin nudged her softly, earning him a soft smile and a rather enjoyable scratch on the head.

Aki nodded. "We welcome you, Uzumaki Shiru."

At that, the surrounding foxes all let out loud howls simultaneously in welcome.

Mamoru smiled, this would be good for her.

* * *

"It's you guys, after all." Karin frowned as she placed a hand on her hip, crimson eyes ignoring the Houzuki boy and intently staring at the Uchiha. "You're alone Sasuke, so it's true then."

"That's mean." Suigetsu commented, though a grin was placed on his features. "I'm here too, aren't I?"

Karin continued to ignore him. "So...I'm guessing you need me for some kind of adventure?" She inquired, her eyes scanning Sasuke impassively. After seeing the way he treated her precious sister, she's held a large amount of animosity for the ravenhead. Couldn't deny he was attractive, though.

The Uchiha's onyx eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How did you know?"

The redhead shrugged with a small smirk. "Nee-chan came to visit me before she left. Didn't say where she was going." She gasped and stepped back when Sasuke suddenly appeared in front of her with the sharingan activated, his profile intimidating her.

"What did she tell you?" He questioned her, his voice low but not any less threatening.

Karin's eyes narrowed as she stared defiantly in his eyes. "She just told me that you may be seeing me, and that she's leaving for a while. And..." She looked down, irritating the impatient Uchiha.

"And what?" He snapped.

A blush formed on her face. "She said 'thank you'!" The redhead gushed, holding her cheeks as she giggled strangely. "She said it with the most prettiest smile, her eyes were just gleaming and she gave me all these beautiful perfumes. Oh, I love nee-chan!"

Sasuke sighed in defeat, his sharingan deactivating and he backed off. _'Should've known. Karin's always had some kind of sister complex.'_

Suigetsu chuckled. "You gotta admit, Shiru's a babe. She could either make you the happiest person or the most fearful person just by smiling. That's some talent. Must get it from Orochimaru."

Karin's face scrunched up. "Don't even compare her to that snake. She's one hundred times better than that old bastard. I don't know why she didn't leave him sooner."

"Probably because she had no goal in life." The white-haired teen suggested with a shrug. They turned to glance at him. "What? Don't tell me you guys didn't notice? She's the type who just doesn't give a shit and doesn't have a set goal except living. Trust me, I've seen them around. They're quite boring."

"But that would mean she has one now if she decided to take action." Sasuke frowned, wondering what it was.

"I'm not sure if you guys noticed, but nee-chan has sleeping and emotional detachment disorders." Karin commented irritably, placing her hands on her hips. The two males looked to her in surprise. "Even as a young child, nee-chan has been emotionally detached and before Orochimaru experimented on her, she would rarely sleep whenever I would be. Don't look like that, Sasuke." She chided the Uchiha, who looked dumbfounded by the news. "You have superiority-inferiority complexes, so you're not perfect either." She smirked in satisfaction when he scowled. "But anyway, I'll join you. I'm sure nee-chan will show up if I tag along with you." Her eye twinkled as if she knew something he didn't, but considering Karin, it would be nothing important.

"So...let's go?" Suigetsu muttered, unsure of whether or not they were going to go now. "Where are the prisoners, by the way?"

"Nee-chan let them go." Karin pushed up her glasses. "Let me get my stuff."

"Hurry up, we need to get Jugo." Sasuke frowned at her.

The redhead sighed. "Honestly, it's like nee-chan can read your mind or something. She theorised you'd go after Jugo as well." She muttered, walking down the hall to retrieve her things. The picture of her and her sister was in her room, but the ruby Shiru gave her was hanging from her neck by a black chain.

It was in the shape of the kanji letter representing perfume.

Shiru gave it to her just before she left, and it smelled of her favourite perfume when brought closely to her nose. It made her gush in happiness that her sister finally showed that she cared.

* * *

Mamoru cringed at the absolutely horrifying screams eliciting from the healing cave, where Shiru was currently at.

She was going through extensive mental and physical therapy, as the medic foxes had stated that she shouldn't be able to function at all and that if this kept up; she would die.

Neither of them knew it was that serious.

The crimson-eyed teen cringed as he sat by the cave, her screams turning into growls and curses at someone with a name he couldn't pronounce.

He was surprised when Yujin appeared in front of him.

"Yujin."

"Mamoru." The blue fox nodded and sat down. "How is she?"

"She's been screaming for over four hours." The boy shrunk. No matter how hard it was to listen to her pain, he wouldn't leave her.

"The medic foxes are masters at what they do. I'm sure the trauma Shiru-hime's got can be overcome."

Unfortunately, three days later and Shiru was a mess. She rocked back and forth in the corner of the room, her eyes wide and glazed over as if she was remembering a horrible experience.

_"Why won't you listen to me, Shiru?"_

_Sapphire eyes looked up at the figure distorted in black, the figure kneeling down in front of her._

_"I...want to show you something, Shiru."_

_Sapphire eyes looked to the dark room._

_"It's fine. You trust me, right?"_

_Sapphire eyes sparkled with loyalty, love and trust. They followed the distorted figure into the dark room._

_"You love me, right Shiru?"_

_They nodded._

_"You'll do anything for me, right?"_

_They nodded again._

_White appeared on the figure in a blurry smile. Pain._

_Pain. Pain._

_Hurt._

_Tears._

_'You're not him.'_

_"Shiru..." Brown hair. Strong coffee smell. "Be a good girl and listen to the big guys."_

A piercing scream escaped her mouth as Shiru smashed her back against the cave wall, her limbs flailing around frantically.

"Fuckers! Fuck off! Go die in a hole! Leave me the fuck alone!" She snarled, grabbing a chair nearest to her and swinging it around in the air, where she saw their shadows.

Mamoru snarled as he tried to get past the foxes who guarded the room to Shiru.

"Can't you hear her?! She's in pain! Let me in!" He demanded to the tall foxes.

They looked at him sympathetically.

"We're sorry, Mamoru-sama. But Shiru-hime cannot have any contact with anyone or the effects won't work." The purple one explained.

"What effect!" He exclaimed. "She's been like this for three days!"

"When she passes out, we will start again until she can overcome it."

"That's torture!"

"Boy." A stern voice startled the fourteen-year-old.

A deep brown fox stood on two feet, being the height of a full grown male and wearing samurai armour. His left ear was cut off and his right arm was hanging limply.

"Shiru-sama needs to face her fears. If she can't do that, then she's not worthy of learning sage mode." He spoke harshly, the words angering the human.

"Wha-" He was about to rant, but Yujin stepped in.

"Sora-sama," the youthful fox spoke curtly.

Yellow eyes narrowed slightly. "Yujin." He returned, before walking off.

Mamoru growled. "Who does he-"

"Sora's fear was combat." Yujin cut the boy off. "He had to face his fears or die. That's exactly what Shiru-hime is going through. The memories will repeat, and repeat until she realises they're nothing but memories and she learns to overcome them."

"C...Can't there be a better way?" The black-haired teen pleaded.

Yujin shook his head. "You may not know this, but Shiru-hime is much older than she appears. These traumas have been with her since she was a mere child, and since she's so out of touch with her emotions, it makes things much harder to do it another way."

Mamoru sighed in defeat. "I...I just..." He looked up slowly when Yujin nudged him.

"I worry for her too..."

They could only hope Shiru would be able to do it.

* * *

"I don't know about you, but she's one of the craziest things I've ever met." Mamoru blinked.

Yujin sighed. "She's insane. And my senior."

The two watched as a dark grey female fox jumped off the peak of the nearby mountain, a loud howl of delight echoing from her form.

When she was halfway down, she disappeared.

And then reappeared in front of Mamoru, startling the human.

Her eyes were a startling sight, without the look of life in it. It made her seem more deranged. There was a black line along her left cheek.

She was one of the foxes who possessed five tails and stood on two feet instead of four. Also one of the few who wore clothes.

Baggy black pants and a black tank.

"You guys are little bitches. Jump!" She laughed, her canines much longer than the average fox.

Yujin sighed. "Kuroki-sempai. We're waiting for Shiru-hime."

The female fox sighed.

"Whatever. She's been in there for a month. You two need to chill out and stop worrying. It'll seep in there and make her worse."

She turned and began to walk off, her five tails moving around simultaneously.

Yujin stared after her longer than he should've.

Mamoru smiled mischievously.

"Sempai won't notice you?" He teased.

Yujin yipped angrily, snapping his head towards the boy.

"Stupid brat! What the hell are you on about?! Kuroki-sempai looks at me all the time!" He snarled.

Mamoru laughed. "Never mentioned her."

The blue fox huffed. "Whatever. She's rather popular here. The other females are usually quiet and reserved, but she acts like one of the guys. They're attracted to that."

"She's really perverted, too." The black-haired teen coughed. "She ogled my chest before."

"It's just because she's never seen a human!" Yujin exclaimed, whacking the boy with one of his tails. "Nothing to it!"

"I'm surprised you can like someone, Yujin." Mamoru grinned. "I thought you liked Shiru-sama."

The fox blinked, green eyes shimmering with amusement. "I love Shiru-hime."

Mamoru's eyes widened as he looked to the fox, his voice was serious.

"I am her familiar, her companion. Much like you, I'd follow her to the ends of the Earth. But what I feel for her isn't romantic. It'd also be strange to like a human." He explained, making Mamoru smile softly.

"I..."

"You love her." The fox cut off.

"Yeah...I'm alive because of her. I'm capable of what I am now, because of her. Hell, when she came to me for help...I was so damn happy that I thought my heart would jump out of my chest." The teen blushed deeply for being so cliche. "I can't deny that even though I want her to be happy, her being happy romantically with another person...I don't want it. I'm selfish. That's why I hate Sasuke. Well, one of the reasons. She spent so much time with him, I was jealous."

Yujin nodded sagely. "Brat was blind. Didn't even realise his own feelings."

"It's too bad Shiru-sama doesn't have any towards him."

"Something tells me she does...but that she doesn't know it herself."

"...Maybe. I hope she doesn't."

Yujin laughed. "I doubt it's anything romantic, Mamoru. If anything, she'd think of Sasuke like a little brother, or someone equally annoying."

Mamoru's mood dropped, startling the fox. "I wonder what she sees me, then. A little brother? Ugh..." He sighed in defeat.

Yujin had to admit that he felt sorry for the boy. After all, he was only fourteen whilst Shiru was...well. Far too old mentally to be able to consider him a possible romance option.

"It's alright." He consoled the human boy soothingly.

* * *

_Everything hurt._

_'You're not allowed to cry,'_

_No. She wasn't. If she did, they'd do that again._

_They would cut her, and then place crushed raw garlic over her wounds and keep them there._

_It burned._

_She wasn't allowed to cry._

_She wasn't allowed to fight._

_She wasn't allowed to call for his name._

_He wasn't there._

_He left her._

_He came back._

_He hurt her._

_Again._

_And again._

_That's when she cried. When she fought. When she called his name._

_When he cut her mouth into a wide smile so she'd be happy._

_They forced garlic onto the wounds._

_They told her to control her emotions._

_To get over him._

_Get over the hurt._

Shiru stared blankly up at the ceiling, the lights almost blinding her. The foxes used some kind of drug to calm her down.

She had scratched all over her body, the feeling of burning and itching overwhelming her when she went through on of her experiences.

She forgot the reason why she was here.

Lost to her memories.

To her fears.

_Don't show anything. _

_Don't tell anyone that they're doing this or they'll do the same. _

_She couldn't tell her brother. _

_Her mother. _

_She lived with him. Only with him. But he was rarely home._

_They'd leave her out in the sun, naked. For hours on end with the burning garlic on her wounds._

_He came back. _

_Smiling. _

_He hugged her. _

_Tightly. _

_So tightly, it hurt. _

_She begged for him to let go. _

_He didn't. _

_He screamed at her, telling her that her eyes shouldn't look like that. _

_Like what? _

_"Your eyes! Shiru! Your beautiful eyes are without their life! Stop looking at me like that!"_

What colour was her eyes again?

His were...hazel.

Pretty. Beautiful hazel eyes that shined.

Scary hazel eyes that made her fear him.

Shiru couldn't feel the liquid running down her cheeks, the only thing she could feel was the overwhelming pain and sadness.

She couldn't sob.

Nor make a sound.

They told her not to cry.

_He slapped her. _

_He cut her. _

_He said he loved her. _

_Was this what love was?_

Shiru became angry. Her killing intent surprised the medics.

She struggled against the restraints on her limbs, she screamed that she'd murder him. Mutilate him.

Make him _smile _like she had.

"I loved you, you fucking bastard! I loved you! I trusted you! Fucking bitch!" She cursed in a language they were unfamiliar with, and it scared them. She spoke English the whole time they started this.

One of the elder medics walked sadly to the elder Aki in the other cave.

"How is she, Ami?" He inquired softly to his sister.

She shook her head softly. "It appears her traumas are much deeper than we first thought. The methods we're using are making her worse." She informed her brother, a weary sigh escaping her.

Aki frowned. He had thought that the human girl would've been able to overcome her fears by this time. It was already a month.

"What do you suggest we do, sister?"

Ami blinked. "By the looks of it, she needs to know someone is there for her. From what we know, she's experienced this awful trauma by herself and therefore believes she's alone."

He nodded. "Do what you can. Get the boy who accompanied her to help. Or Yujin."

She nodded and bowed slightly. "Alright, brother."

* * *

**Did you see the little appearance of a certain Taidana? Did you? Hopefully. I had to rewrite this chapter multiple times. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**I think I've got Shiru's goal in mind, now. Mwahaha. Much easier. A link to a picture of Mamoru is on my profile. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

The cave of self searching.

It was a large, smooth cave that had flawless and flat surfaces that reflected like mirrors.

If one was to enter this room, they would face their inner demons and either become stronger by overcoming it, or break by giving in to it.

Shiru sat in the middle of the room, her legs crossed and her eyes wide but blank. Her hair was even more disheveled than it usually was, and her attire were simple black shorts and a tank top; exposing the marks on her wrists and ankles as well at the various scars she'd attained over the years.

Sitting in front of her, was a woman.

She was at least mid-twenties to thirties.

Sapphire eyes that stared directly into emerald eyes.

The woman had messy black hair, unkempt and unhealthy. Her skin was a light tan, but it was malnourished and covered in scary red patches that looked like flesh had been melted off and scarred over time.

She wore a white hospital gown. Frankly, she looked insane.

But it was those markings on her cheeks that attracted the redhead's attention.

From the corner of the mouth, to the tip of her cheekbones.

Ugly.

This woman would've looked pretty if she didn't have those marks.

Mirrors always reminded her of them.

Dry lips turned upwards in a small but empty smile.

"Hello." The woman greeted, her voice husky and rough.

Shiru blinked.

"Do you remember me?" The woman asked, tilting her head slightly.

"You're..."

"You." She laughed, though it was dry and cold. "Who'd have thought we'd end up in an anime? The anime we'd always watch."

"Why are you here?" Shiru asked, her own voice sounding broken.

"I am Evelyn Shiru. You are Uzumaki Shiru. Two different people, yet the same."

"Evelyn..." Shiru repeated softly.

Evelyn smiled and tilted her head to the other side.

"Shiru." She spoke. "Look behind me."

And so she did.

And she regretted it instantly.

"No..."

* * *

Time passed differently in Shinkyo than the outside world.

Mamoru was rather amazed by that. They'd been here for a month and a half, but apparently that only meant a few hours or days in the other world.

It was amazing, really.

The crimson-eyed teen had gotten rather close to Shiru in the amount of time they'd been there.

She clung to him like a lifeline, to protect her sanity. To tell her the memories she so vividly remembered weren't real.

He'd thought it was the things Orochimaru did to her, and cursed the snake sannin to hell. Multiple times.

In the time she'd been in sessions, the foxes had decided to teach him their use of fox fire techniques.

It was lucky he had a fire affinity.

It was a strange sensation, unlike normal fire jutsus. It felt more powerful, and more...destructive.

On more than one occasion did he lose control and set fire to a small group of trees.

Meditation helped.

Yujin was a master at fox fire techniques. His fire was (unsurprisingly) blue, and was capable of having multiple fireballs float around him. When passive, they were green.

Crimson eyes looked worriedly at the white cave to his left, where Shiru was currently at.

They had thought this method would help her more than what they had been doing.

They had gotten rid of all the negative effects on her body, but was able to find the good in what Orochimaru was doing and enhanced that; allowing her to no longer have seizures and increase her body's natural properties.

Unfortunately, they'd be getting nowhere until she could sort out the demons in her mind.

And fierce little shits they were.

Someone who was so stoic, so smart and cunning...reduced to someone who feared her own memories was more than worrying.

The foxes were beginning to have doubts.

Doubts were never good.

Mamoru dodged a blue fireball, getting his head back into reality and meeting with the green eyes of a certain fox.

"Focus, Mamoru. You'll be useless to her if you get lost in your head." Yujin chided patiently.

The black-haired boy sighed. "Yeah, sorry. Let's go again."

"Alright."

* * *

Shiru dodged a particularly jagged blade, her breathing harsh and her eyes fearfully wide.

They were everywhere.

Everywhere.

"Shiru." They all whispered. Dark and cruel like she remembered.

She shivered.

All the while, Evelyn remained with a blank face; sapphire eyes only on the redhead who moved around frantically.

"You don't need to dodge them, Shiru." Evelyn muttered, her voice impassive and without sympathy.

Emerald eyes darted angrily at the woman, who merely twitched her lip up in amusement.

_'So this is what I'm like..._' Shiru thought within a split second, dodging another swing._ 'Ah, well.'_

The redhead was already cut from the first hits, why wouldn't she dodge the others?

"If you accept that they're nothing but memories, nothing but the past, they won't hurt you." Evelyn explained.

"The memories hurt." Shiru whispered, eyes moving around at speeds that should've given her a headache.

"They're memories. Stop being so stubborn and let it go." The older woman chided, irritated. "They're only hurting you because you let them. You want to change, don't you?"

"Yes..."

"Then face him."

Shiru stopped.

The ones she was dodging disappeared, and she could only see him.

Hazel eyes.

That smile. That deceptive motherfucking smile.

"You." She was torn between anger and fear.

Stepping back as he stepped closer, his smile widening.

"I thought we established that I'm not 'you', Shiru."

God, even his voice was how she remembered him.

Her hands were twitching, wanting to grab something; anything to protect herself from him.

"Why aren't you smiling, Shiru? You're meant to be smiling."

He started to step forward at a faster pace, making her gasp and body flicker to the wall, her back pressing painfully up against it as he continued to walk towards her; eyes intently and only on her.

"Stay away!" She screamed, her demeanour completely shattered.

"Don't be like that..."

"You're letting him get to you, Shiru." Evelyn sighed, her form appearing beside the redhead with a bored body language. "Aren't you a ninja? Grow up."

Listening to yourself be a bitch was less than welcoming, Shiru cringed.

He was getting closer.

Closer.

His smiled widened.

She screamed.

In a situation like this, she would've been calm. She would've felt nothing. She would've formed seals and used wind techniques to cut this fucker to hell.

But right now.

Right now...

Was nothing but fear.

This man. This man was the one who shattered her. Destroyed her childhood, destroyed her all for some job he had to do. He said he needed her, he said it would be fine.

Who the hell sends a child to a place so they can be tamed into controlling their emotions?!

All so she could sneak into that fucking place and steal what he wanted.

All...

All for that.

Shiru couldn't feel the wet liquid running down her cheeks. She couldn't feel the coldness of the wall behind her.

The fear enveloped her.

He was closer now, that _disgusting_ smile on his face.

Sapphire eyes stared blankly at the man.

"Let the real fun begin, shall we?"

* * *

It was silent.

Much too silent.

Everyone around him was frozen, all eyes on the cave that Shiru had been in for the past few days.

The most terrified of screams had echoed from that place, and it scared the shit out of the residents of Shinkyo.

Mamoru was gone in a second, smashing through the entrance to find a completely broken Shiru in the farthest corner of the cave; her hands scratching incessantly at her face as if someone or something was touching her there.

He rushed to her, grabbing her hands as she screamed and protested, kicking at him and yelling at him a language he didn't understand. She was strong, almost overwhelmingly so.

"Shiru-sama! Shiru!" She wasn't seeing him. She never saw him until...

She calmed down when he placed his forehead against hers, her hands immediately entertwining with his in a horribly painful grip; but he didn't care. She was fine now. Fine.

"Mamoru...?" She asked questionably, her voice raspy and she sounded...so tired.

Tired of life.

"It's me, Shiru..."

The medic-foxes came in, though were silent until she calmed down completely in his presence to check on any injuries.

He stayed by her side as they healed the several self-inflicted wounds on her body, and he stared at the rings on her wrists and ankles.

They were slave brandings from the looks of it. But under this light, he could see the silvery writing of seals over the black marks.

_'What?'_ Mamoru blinked. Then blinked again. They didn't disappear, merely glowing in a rythmic way...like a pulse.

Yujin noticed them as well with a critical eye, turning and muttering to the fox beside him. The fox nodded and leapt off, probably to inform Aki.

It seemed like no one could notice or feel anything from the seals, making it very peculiar and a little worrying.

Why did she have seals that only appeared under reflective surfaces?

More mysteries surrounded Shiru.

A few hours later, Kuroki made an appearance, standing next to Yujin who sat with a stern expression.

"They're not sure if she can continue on at this rate." Kuroki informed them with an unusually serious tone. "Her mental state is, well, horrible. It actually seems like a part of her psyche is attacking her."

Mamoru's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?!" He demanded.

"Like, she wants to change, so a part of her is forcing her to face her fears and it's causing a negative effect. Get it? That means she's slowly destroying herself."

Yujin cringed. "I didn't know she had such a horrifying past."

Kuroki frowned. "From what I could tell, she's not from this world."

The two males looked at her curiously, though Yujin was knowing whilst Mamoru was confused.

"She speaks in a language we don't understand, right? Also, by the strength of her trauma, it would appear that she's had it for more than eighteen years, which is her current physical age." The grey fox explained. "I would assume that the seal on her chest connects her soul to her body, with her soul being from an entirely different world."

The crimson-eyed teen had to process all this information. "Can she..."

"Overcome it? Hell, at this rate, chances are dim." Kuroki shrugged.

Mamoru stood up. "I want to see her."

"Sure, follow me kid."

Yujin frowned. This was not going the way it should've.

She was supposed to overcome her fears a half a month ago, at the very least.

The blue fox yipped unhappily for his companion.

_'Please, Shiru-hime...you can do it...you're not alone...'_

* * *

Shiru's eye twitched as she stared at the small navy fox chewing at her blanket.

It had bright and innocent green eyes, dark navy fur and a single, fluffy little tail.

It was about the size of a bowling ball.

"This is my little brother." Yujin introduced apprehensively, looking at the little newborn with normal 'I-dislike-you-because-you're-annoying-and-my-sibling' look.

She blankly picked up at small fox, holding it up and blinking when he yipped happily and tried to reach for her face.

Shiru secretly loved adorable animals.

"His name?" She questioned tiredly, bringing the small fox closer and seeming to pull a peaceful face as it licked her cheek.

"Kazoku."

_'Family...'_ Shiru immediately translated as she stared at the fox who was now curling up in her lap and drifting to sleep as she pet him soothingly.

"Shiru-hime." Yujin's tone made her glance at him. "I want you to know that we're here for you. You mean a lot to me, to Mamoru...I don't want you to lose yourself in the past..." He looked down, feeling slightly guilty as he thought he was being a little insensitive.

His words dawned on her.

It finally clicked.

She was so lost in the past, so afraid to become attached to anyone, that she hadn't noticed the bonds she already created with the residents of this world.

She cared about Yujin. About the foxes.

About Mamoru.

Oh, Mamoru was a dear. She knew very well of his feelings for her, but she would never be able to reciprocrate them. Nevertheless, he was dear to her heart.

A strangled chuckle escaped her lips, waking the Kazoku and making him yawn.

"Shit...I'm so pathetic..." She muttered, face-palming.

Yujin looked alarmed. "Pathetic?! Shiru-hime, you're anything but! Don't say that! Are you okay? Do you need depression pills?!"

It looked very amusing seeing a large blue foxes zip around the room she was in; panicking. His little brother seemed to find it amusing, making an adorable snort-slash-yip.

The elder fox paused and glared at his sibling. "Silence, you."

Kazoku looked at him innocently with a tilt of his head, before his tail conveniently enveloped in grey fire.

Shiru reacted instantly and threw the small fox at his brother.

Yujin sighed as his tail wrapped around the smaller fox. "Honestly, he's been doing that more and more lately."

"Is he the only one?" The redhead questioned.

The light blue fox shook his head. "I have fourteen other siblings. Stupid kaa-san and her habit of creating dozens of offspring." He pouted, probably because he was the eldest and was often forced to look after the runts.

Shiru chuckled softly, finding herself to be more at peace.

The next time she went in that cave, she'd be able to do it.

She knew it.

* * *

Shiru had no idea how long it had been.

She'd been in the cave of self searching again, but found that she would actually have to literally fight the man she once loved as if he was an actual person.

_'Someone could've informed me of this.'_ She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Of course, Evelyn was there. Having your former self say annoying shit was getting on her nerves.

Now she knew how Sasuke felt, but all be damned if she currently cared about that brat.

When they said you had to fight your fears, they could've given her a heads up about it being literally, right?

This cave seemed to make him corporeal, which, by all means scared absolute shit out of her.

With his attractively youthful face and hazel eyes that stared at her with a crazed intensity. He was most definitely insane, if the way he attempted to raise her was any indication.

She'd past the step of cowering and faced him, only to have him become...well, that! Physically capable of hurting her?!

Resolves were dwindling and she nearly hyperventilated on multiple events where he managed to hurt her. He was never this strong, or fast, or knew how to do all the techniques she could do but with stronger force.

This was Naruto, not fucking Bleach. She's not fighting for a bankai, for fuck sakes.

It was safe to say her anger was fully in place and she snapped at her former self on multiple occasions, though to her frustration merely smiled slightly in amusement and jabbed at her abilities.

"You are me, aren't you?" Shiru growled, dodged another attack from him.

Evelyn laughed. "Your former self, though I can actually laugh, unlike you. I'd thought you'd be stronger by now, but you're disappointing me, Shiru."

"Shut up!" Shiru snapped, her killing intent coming out in waves. It was dark, it was angry and frustrated.

It momentarily shocked Evelyn and her opponent.

Giving her the perfect opportunity to smash the fucker in the face.

And the satisfaction of that. The sweet, sweet motherfucking satisfaction of the sound of his entire face crushing under her hand.

Shiru was never the type to enjoy killing or hurting people. No, she was blank from all of that.

But when you're facing the person who completely fucked your entire life up...and smashing his face?

Pure. Fucking. Gold.

Not only did she feel amazingly accomplished, she felt lighter.

Much lighter, like the weight of something unbelievably heavy just disappeared into thin air.

Much like he did.

And then the doors opened.

Shiru blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

"The fuck?" Was all she could say, standing dumbly in the middle of the cave, covered in a bunch of cuts and bruises all alone.

Yujin howled happily as he walked in with a beaming Mamoru.

"You passed, Shiru!"

The redhead blinked again. And again.

"You're fucking kidding me." She deadpanned.

One hit? One? One fucking hit made her overcome her fears? Bullshit. Pure bullshit. No. Wasn't possible. That couldn't have solved all her mental struggles.

_'I refuse to believe it.'_

"Shiru-hime?" Yujin questioned the redhead who merely stared ahead blankly.

"This feels...anticlimactic." She muttered, staring at her fist. She was cut, bruised, stabbed and it had taken one hit?

For some reason, Shiru's mood dropped; causing the foxes following in to pause.

"All this fucking time and effort, and it took only one hit?!" Shiru growled, she downright snarled. It looked unnatural on her usually stoic face, but she had been showing many faces since she'd been there.

She started to curse in English, cursing his name and all the trouble he caused her and so on.

Mamoru laughed. She certainly seemed more spirited.

"I wanted to pummel him more, you motherfucking ass! Get him back here! God fuck you cruel gods and all your bullshit! I wasn't done, damn you!"

Yujin coughed.

"This is new. I wonder what language she's speaking."

"Doesn't sound pleasant, I'm sure." Mamoru grinned.

* * *

Shiru put on a cloak as Yujin and Mamoru came into her room.

"What are you doing, Shiru?" Mamoru blinked in curiosity. He had dropped the 'sama' a while ago now that they were on closer terms.

"I have business to do. There should be two people I need alive for this plan, and they're both probably fighting. I'll send Hiro to get Itachi and I'll get Jiraiya myself. Hopefully I'll be in time."

"But you only just finished overcoming your fears and stuff!"

"I'd rather it if Jiraiya was alive, and if I don't go now, he's dead for sure." Shiru frowned. _'Saving him means him being indebted to me, and Tsunade would be grateful. I would be able to establish a truce or alliance with them easier if I saved him. Nevertheless, if I don't save him in time I'll have to use other means to get Konoha as an ally.'_

Mamoru frowned. _'What's going through her head?'_

"Good luck then, Shiru-hime." Yujin nudged her, earning a soft smile and a pat from the redhead.

"Come back safely." The crimson-eyed teen frowned, not liking this at all. He gasped when she ruffled his hair.

"Don't make a face like that. I'll only be a bit." She smiled slightly down at him, causing him to fidget and look away.

_'I'm obviously nothing but a little brother to her...'_ He deduced in thought. The prickling at his heart made him sigh.

She turned, walking down the hall as her two companions watched her retreating back.

"She seems stronger...doesn't she?" Yujin tilted his head.

Mamoru smiled at the ground, a hand in his hair.

"She's only going to get stronger..."

"Yeah. Let's go train, otherwise you'll never catch up."

"Alright."

* * *

_'That must be it! I know your true identity, Pain!'_

What surprised all paths of Pain and Jiraiya himself, was the flash of red that pulled the sannin to safety before his throat was crushed.

They landed on pipe away from the six paths, though their eyes all turned to see just who it was that saved the toad sannin.

Jiraiya looked down in disbelief, his remaining arm wrapped around the female he knew as Uzumaki Shiru.

"You..."

"I was in time, I see." She commented, her eyes never leaving the six paths ahead of her. "Let's go!"

Before anyone could react, a large grey fox popped into view; grabbing Shiru and Jiraiya before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The paths all stared at the place the woman with the red hair and Jiraiya were seconds before.

Back at Shinkyo, Shiru and Jiraiya appeared; causing the nearby residents to rush to the toad sannin's aid.

Jiraiya stopped being in his incomplete sage mode, letting Fukasaku jump off him and to Shiru's cloaked form.

"You! Who are you, child?" Fukasaku demanded as they brought Jiraiya into the medical cave. "You saved Jiraiya-chan..."

"I am Uzumaki Shiru." She introduced with a sigh, before beginning to walk off. "Keep Jiraiya company, will you? I have to do other things."

The elder toad was dumbfounded until a certain elder fox greeted him.

"Fukasaku-sama." Aki greeted, making the small toad turn with a surprised expression.

"Aki-sama! I'm surprised to see you after so long."

Aki's ear twitched as he sat down in front of the elder toad and sighed.

"Yes, well. Shiru-hime is our latest summoner and insisted that we helped one of the sannins before he died." He explained with a sigh.

Fukasaku looked behind him, only to see the entrance to the cave she went in was sealed up.

"You are teaching her sage mode, I presume."

Aki nodded. "She had troubles with her mental health, but was able to defeat her inner demons earlier this week. It's unknown to me what her plans for saving your student is, but we were lucky to have made it in time."

The elder nodded. "If she showed up any later than she did, I'm afraid Jiraiya-chan wouldn't be alive. We owe her our thanks."

"What will you do now? It would be wise to inform your wife and the Hokage about this, as Shiru wants to work together with Konoha."

"I suppose I shall. Do look after Jiraiya-chan for me, Aki-sama."

The two elders nodded in respect towards each other, before the smaller one disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Aki looked to the cave where the human known as Uzumaki Shiru was currently in.

_'What are your plans, I wonder...Shiru-hime.'_

* * *

The two Uchiha brothers clashed, but were soon forced to jump away from one another when an orange fox appeared in the midst of them.

It landed silently on the floor, with its eyes closed and its mouth curved upwards in the sly expression foxes were known for.

"Greetings, Uchiha brothers!" It yipped in an overly enthusiastic voice.

Their eyes narrowed at the fox.

"You..." Sasuke spoke. "You're one of Shiru's summons."

The fox turned to look at him. "Yes, indeed! Shiru-hime has sent me here to inform you two of important information! In time I was, yes!"

Itachi raised a brow at this. "Myself as well?"

"Yes, Itachi-sama! It's very much recommended that you are alive for Shiru-hime's plans, you see!" The fox yipped and jumped when Sasuke threw a kunai at the fox.

"What the hell would she want with this bastard?!" The younger Uchiha demanded as the fox landed near Itachi.

A frown formed on the fox's expression. "You're quite loud, aren't you Sasuke-sama? Shiru-hime knows the real reason why Itachi-sama massacred your clan, you see?"

Both their eyes widened at this information.

"The real reason...?" Sasuke frowned.

"Yes!" The fox yipped. "She insists that Itachi-sama come with me so she can explain her plan to you, you see!"

Itachi looked down at the fox with a slight frown.

_'Shiru...that girl who bought time for Uzumaki Naruto that time...?'_

"How does she know?" Itachi inquired softly.

The fox shook his head. "I can't say, Itachi-sama. Are you willing to meet her? Because even if you aren't, I have to make sure you don't fight with Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke growled. "What?! She can't interfere with this! This is family business!"

The fox growled back. "She said you were a brat, and that you would be blinded by hatred, so I was told that Itachi-sama was the one I needed to bring."

Itachi stared at the fox, mulling it over.

"I'm not letting anyone get in the way of my revenge!"

The fox jumped onto Itachi, and they were engulfed in a puff of smoke before Sasuke's chidori touched them.

The younger Uchiha looked back at his hand touched nothing, the smoke clearing to reveal empty space.

A dark expression formed on his face.

"Shiru! You piece of shit! I'll kill you!"

* * *

Itachi blinked as he was reverse summoned to a mountain, eyes looking around to see a certain woman sitting across from him with her legs crossed.

She had her eyes closed, but he knew she noticed him.

"Shiru-hime! I've brought Itachi-sama like you said!" The fox yipped, jumping over to the woman who smiled softly and treated the fox to some kind of treat.

"Good work, Hiro." She praised the fox, who bounded and yipped happily before settling down in her lap as she played with his ears.

Itachi rescognised her immediately, though she was older and looked more experienced than last time; even if it was brief.

"I'd apologise for being abrupt, but unfortunately it'd be a lie." She stated impassively, making the Uchiha raise a slight brow. "I have plans, and plans include you not being dead. Are you willing to talk?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" The Uchiha blinked.

When she opened her eyes, their eyes immediately connected.

"It'd be recommended you'd sit. This will be a while." She smiled slightly.

_'Hn.'_

* * *

**Reviews a love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre. What'd you think? I have no idea myself, but it seems a little rushed in my opinion. Ah, well.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh. My. God. I apologise profusely for not updating for like a month and three days. I got caught up with life, and a new story and shit. Do you know how hard this chapter was. Like my god. I'm so sorry for being late, and I thank everyone who continues to support and stick with this story. I hope you enjoy.  
**

* * *

Temari knew that there was something between the girl known as Uzumaki Shiru and her little brother.

It was peculiar, how both Uzumaki Shiru and Naruto influenced him in a way she thought impossible.

The first time she met both the Uzumaki cousins, they both had very different impressions on her. The blonde one was an idiot, and the red-haired one was just as stoic as her red-haired little brother.

The moment they met, she knew that there was something between them; if the way they stared intensely at each other was any indication.

They could've passed off as siblings, with their similar appearances and personalities.

But then she realised they were really quite different. Her fight during the chuunin exam revealed that she believed in efficiency, not in blood lust.

She then noticed how they stared at each other from across the room, neither saying anything or looking at anyone else.

Then the month they had to stay on Konoha was strange. Well, with Gaara, things were usually strange but the stay was even stranger. He usually sat on the giant ornament on the roof of the place they stayed at, she knew this. She and Kankuro let him, of course. He could do what he wants since he could kill them both with a sliver of sand.

She didn't anticipate seeing the same red-haired woman sitting with him, his hands playing childishly with her hair as she stared up at the moon. No, that was definitely not what she expected.

There were times when she knew that Uzumaki Shiru knew she was watching, but she made no indication of telling him. She watched, fascinated at how...different he acted around her.

Sure, he seemed insane like he usually was, but he had never smiled or laughed like that. He never wanted to touch someone so bad.

The way he clung to her like she was something precious made her feel guilty. This girl, this person who had barely known Gaara had somehow...accepted him.

He became obsessed, following her wherever she went. She saw that he would stare at his hands for long periods of time.

Shiru touched him on his forehead one time, and Temari was surprised to see that her little brother had leaned into the touch. He had willingly let her touch him.

On the day of the invasion, she noticed how he would glare at the redhead who merely ignored him. He was angry that she was disregarding his existence.

And then her cousin defeated him, Uzumaki Naruto. He changed that day. He apologised to both her and Kankuro.

As the days went by, she slowly began to bond with him as Kankuro did also. He rarely smiled, but there was a twitch of a smirk that would appear here and there. She watched, as he would often stare longingly at something that was seemingly similar to Shiru's hair colour.

It surprised her, how his sea foam eyes could show such an emotion. He cherished Naruto as a great friend, but what did he see Shiru as?

He wanted to protect the village thanks to Naruto's influence. She was proud of him, that he was persistent even though the council was against it for quite some time.

She hugged him one time, to congratulate him on his change. It was awkward, but it was needed. He surprised her by touching her cheek.

Then he pulled back, and stared intensely at his hand that he touched her with. She was confused.

"It's not the same." he muttered, but she caught it. Realisation dawned on her.

Uzumaki Shiru was still on his mind, even if he didn't see her after that day. Even if it was declared that she was a spy for Orochimaru, an enemy to them.

He would be lost in his own thoughts a lot of the time, staring out the window or at his hand. Surely, he would be over her, since he was obsessed with her when he was unhinged.

"Hey, Gaara." she called one day, his eyes glancing to her. "What do you think of Uzumaki Shiru?"

She noticed how he suddenly went tense, how his eyes widened that slight bit upon hearing her name. For a minute, he didn't respond. Then he turned to look out the window again.

"What about her?" he started slowly, not sure why his sister suddenly brought _her _up.

"I've seen you two together back in Konoha." she explained, tilting her head. "She's someone special to you?"

Again, he didn't respond for a long time, hand touching the sill of the window as the breeze brushed against him.

"I don't know..." he whispered, staring at his palm again. "I...can't forget her touch. Her eyes. The warmth."

Temari was suspicious then. He made it seem as if he was...in love with her.

"Does it hurt in your chest when you think about her?" she asked tentatively, surprise written on her face when he suddenly snapped his head towards her with wide eyes.

"How did you know?" he asked, as if she was some kind of magician who showed him a trick. "I don't feel this way when I think of Naruto."

Temari smiled softly as she stood in front of her little brother.

"Do you miss her, Gaara?"

He looked torn for a moment, not sure if he was.

"I...often wish she were here. Is that the same?" he asked, tilting his head up at her. She placed a hand on his head.

"Yes, it is. I think she's someone very special to you. Sort of like Naruto, but not."

He frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well," she placed a hand on her chin and looked out at the night sky, "what do you like about her? Her hair? Her skin? Her eyes?"

Gaara seemed to think long and hard about that question. "I...like her eyes...her hair...the way her skin makes my fingers all warm...the way the moon illuminates her when she's looking at it..."

Temari blinked in surprise. She was not expecting to hear him say such romantic things, especially from him of all people.

"And Naruto?" she inquired.

He seemed to smile a little at the thought of Naruto. "I admire him. He's like the sun, bright and big. He's a good person." Then he frowned. "But I don't want to touch him the same way I want to touch Shiru..."

If he was anyone else, she would've called them a pervert, but Gaara was too naive to be a pervert.

"How do you want to touch her?" she asked.

The redhead seemed confused by this. "By...touching her cheeks, like I used to."

Temari smiled at him. "You know Uchiha Sasuke?"

He tilted his head, before nodding.

"Well, then. Imagine Sasuke touching her cheeks like you did." She figured, that if he showed any signs of jealousy, that would confirm her suspicions that her little brother, Gaara, liked someone.

Confused, he did as she asked. But then he frowned deeply at the image of Sasuke touching her cheek.

"Why did you ask me to do that?"

Temari smiled. "Did you like the image of him doing that?"

"No." he replied almost immediately, a deep frown set on his face. "I feel...angry."

And then Temari got her answer. She then placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"One day, you'll understand." she smiled, before leaving to let him ponder on his thoughts.

And then the days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years. Gaara became the Kazekage, he vowed to protect the village.

And he did. She couldn't do anything as the Akatsuki attacked, and he protected the entire village. She was in Konoha, she couldn't do anything as Kankuro was poisoned.

They fought.

They won.

She was worried sick, but then he was alive. She couldn't help but snort at the girls who were crushing on her little brother.

"Gaara's a real strong and silent type, good-looking and elite..."

"Yeah, yeah, but then there's still some cuteness about him, but he's also the Kazekage."

"Next time for sure, I'll get Gaara-sama out of whatever he's in!"

"No, me!"

"That's too bad." Temari smiled slyly, earning herself their attention as she stood between them and Gaara. "Gaara's already got a girl on his mind."

The two girls gasped. "No, that can't be right!" Then they turned to their Kazekage, whose eyes were wide with pinkish hues beginning to decorate his cheeks.

"Temari..." he muttered, hiding his face away from prying eyes.

"What?! You mean there really is someone?!"

"Yep. So unless you have red hair and emerald eyes, you're out of luck." Temari grinned as Gaara shrunk even further.

"Temari..."

"Wait, what?!" Naruto barged into the conversation. "You couldn't possibly mean Shiru-chan, right?!"

By then, as Gaara tried to hide himself within his hands, he couldn't cover the red on his ears.

"No way! Really, Gaara?!" Naruto laughed, patting the poor redhead on the back as he squatted beside the Kazekage. "You got really good tastes! Once I bring her back, you guys can go on a date, yeah?!"

"Naruto...that's...not necessary..." Gaara managed to mutter.

"What do you mean? If it's you, I think it's okay!"

"Who the hell is Shiru?!" One of the girls demanded.

Temari scoffed. "She's way out of your league, girls."

"We'll see!"

When the mood became serious, they all prayed for Chiyo.

For three days, Temari watched in amusement as Naruto tried to talk to Gaara about his cousin.

"So when did you start liking her? Huh? Come on, Gaara!"

"Naruto! Quit annoying him, he's meant to be recovering." Sakura scolded the blonde.

"Aw, but Sakura-chan. Aren't you curious to know how he started liking her, too?" Naruto gave the puppy eyes to the pinkette.

"To be honest, a little bit." Sakura admitted softly.

Gaara glanced at them. "What do you mean, 'I like her'?"

"Like, you want to hold her in your arms!" Naruto hugged himself dramatically. "And you want to touch her a lot, and you miss her when she's not around! Hug her and all of that!"

The redhead stared at his hands. "I suppose I do like her then."

Temari laughed whilst Sakura and Naruto both made expressions of surprise.

"Woohoo! As soon as I bring Shiru back, you two are going to date and then we can be legal brothers once you two marry!"

Gaara's eyes widened.

"Idiot!" Sakura punched the blonde. "It may not even be the way you think!"

"But Sakura-chan!"

"If you see her," Temari spoke up, "don't tell her okay?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "But why?"

Temari glanced at her little brother, who was sitting up on his bed, determinedly staring out the window. "Because I'm pretty sure he'd want to tell her himself, right? So, when you bring her back, don't tell her."

"Okay! I get it!"

And then life resumed when the Konoha-nin left.

"So." Temari glanced at Gaara.

"I think I understand now." he commented, staring at his hands before looking at Temari. "I think...Shiru is someone I want to spend a lifetime with...even if I only knew her for a month...and I was a little unstable then...that's what I want."

She smiled sadly at him. "She's our enemy, you know."

Gaara smiled softly. "I believe in Naruto to bring her back."

* * *

"Jiraiya-chan was saved by Uzumaki Shiru 'n brought ta Shinkyo."

"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened at the news.

"I was told she wanted ta work together with Konoha, but I'm not sure why." Fukasaku informed the blonde.

"See!" Naruto pointed at the Hokage. "I told you Shiru-chan was a good person!"

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto, we don't know what she wants. All we know is that she saved Jiraiya, and he is now in her hands. She could be holding him hostage for all we know."

"She wouldn't do something like that!" Shiru's cousin roared.

Fukasaku spoke up. "Also, the foxes of Shinkyo would never let someone with malicious intents to be their summoner. Whatever it is Shiru-chan wants ta do, it's wise not ta overlook it."

The residents within the room remained silent as they registered this information.

"So what do we do, now?" Naruto frowned.

"I suppose we can only wait until we hear from Shiru again. Even if she saved Jiraiya, she's still a missing-nin and it'll be hard to convince the council to work with her if we do." Tsunade sighed.

"Admit it, granny Tsunade!" Naruto exclaimed, surprising them, "you're just as grateful as I am that she saved him! Why'd you even let him on the mission?!"

The Hokage sighed.

* * *

Itachi and Shiru stared intently at one another, neither speaking nor breaking eye contact.

Then, breaking the silence; the Uchiha sighed.

"I would never have guessed that there are techniques that could seal souls from other worlds into a body." He commented, making the redhead smile a little.

"I doubt you would've guessed that your world is a TV show either." She commented, tilting her head as she glanced at the Uchiha's hand.

"Indeed." He replied as she grabbed his hand out of courtesy and pulled her up to her feet. "So even if I were to die...Madara...or Obito would still get to him?"

"Essentially." Shiru nodded, turning to look at the view behind her. Itachi joined her side soon after. "Things have changed, seeing as you're still alive. I'm not sure whether Obito will still get Sasuke or he's left him for the time being. Karin and Jugo will watch him for me either way."

The Uchiha frowned, glancing to the redhead. "How will my life change anything?"

Emerald eyes looked to onyx eyes that were so much more different compared to his little brother's. "After finding out the truth, he wanted to destroy Konoha because they were the reason for you murdering the Uchiha clan. Frankly, he's a little unhinged." She sighed, memories of his short temper and calls of revenge. "If you're alive, then it makes things easier to convince him to _not _destroy the thing you've been protecting."

The corner of the elder Uchiha's lips twitched upwards. "Smart. I do recall that you've kept the truth from him as well, making him believe that you were emotionless."

"Does that make us siblings in a way?" Shiru commented with a small smirk.

"You have the Uchiha smile." He noted.

"What smile?" She tilted her head.

"Exactly." The two shared a small smile before turning their eyes back onto the mountainous view.

They were silent, taking in the beauty of nature before speaking again.

"Will you help me?" Shiru asked softly, almost a whisper.

Itachi glanced at the Uzumaki, searching for any signs that should tell him 'no'. Unsurprised that he found none, he nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Thank you."

* * *

"What kept you?"

"I had an unexpected guest."

Tobi tilted his head. "Someone managed to delay the invincible Pein? The legendary sannin Jiraiya lives up to his reputation, eh?"

Pein glanced at Tobi. "Someone saved him."

"What?! Who?"

The orange-haired shinobi looked at the ground. "She was...Orochimaru's apprentice, Uzumaki Shiru."

Tobi tensed, a frown on his features behind the mask he wore.

"Her again, huh...?" he muttered, making the other two in the room glance at him.

"Do you know her personally?" Konan questioned softly.

"I met her once," he admitted, the tone in his voice lethal, "when she was nothing but a body without a soul. She was known as Mu back then, though."

The two stared at their masked leader, who seemed to be deep in thought. "I didn't expect her to become a problem..."

"Is she a threat?" Pein asked, his voice as usual was void of emotions.

Tobi waved a dismissive hand. "She must be planning something, but don't worry. I left her a gift when I visited her. Next time we meet, she'll be mine."

Their leader stood. "If she saved Jiraiya, I'm not sure if the news has reached Konoha or not. Either way, get moving before things become problematic."

"Pein is unbeatable. He will obtain the nine-tails, no matter what." Konan spoke again.

"Only two more tailed beasts...Sasuke was quite difficult to convince, but I did it. He's taking care of the eight-tails." Tobi replied.

"Can he handle that?" Their only female member asked, blinking blankly.

"Sasuke will succeed, I guarantee it."

Pein stood. "Konan, get ready to move out. Our destination is the hidden leaf."

* * *

As Kakashi, Sakura, Shiho, Naruto, Shikamaru, Fukasaku and Tsunade gathered in the Hokage office, their guards went up when a puff of blue smoke appeared in the middle of the room.

"What the?!" Naruto coughed, pulling out a kunai as Tsunade stood.

Once the smoke cleared, their eyes widened to see a big blue fox with multiple smaller foxes of various sizes and Uzumaki Shiru supporting a fairly healed Jiraiya.

The toad sannin grinned goofily at them. "Hey guys! Missed me?"

"Pervy sage!" Naruto gasped, the rest too were surprised by the sudden appearance. "Shiru!"

"I don't know how much time we have left, so hurry up and take him." Shiru frowned, ignoring the suspicious glances and a rather pissed off one from Sakura. Still probably wasn't over the kick to her side from last time.

But the pinkette and Naruto were the first to move towards them, intent on lending Jiraiya a hand.

Stepping away, Shiru stared directly at the Hokage, who stared in return.

"Jiraiya-chan!" Fukasaku jumped from the desk and towards his student, jumping onto the injured man's shoulders. "Good ta see ya alive!"

"Ignore the fact that I'm a criminal at the moment." she started, the leaf-nin glancing at the foxes who moved protectively around her, the large blue one being the most protective."The Akatsuki are planning an attack on Konoha at this very moment."

"What?!" Tsunade exclaimed, looking to Jiraiya who stood with Sakura and Naruto on either side of him. "Jiraiya, do you have any proof of this?"

The toad sannin glanced to Shiru, before returning his gaze onto his former teammate. "I fought Pein. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether they'd come here or not. Shiru here seems to have knowledge on the Akatsuki's movements."

Surprised eyes turned to the redhead, who sighed. "I want to work with Konoha. This information I have is crucial to the survival of Konoha. I saved Jiraiya so he could tell you in full detail of what happened. I'm telling you now that Konoha will be attacked, and I wish to prepare you for it. They want Naruto. I came straight to you, to show you that I only want to help."

Tsunade scrutinized the female Uzumaki, whose emerald eyes shone with determination. "You betrayed the leaf once, how can we trust you now?"

"I won't be participating in the battle, since I still have yet to learn sage mode. It's recommended that Naruto learn from the toads as well." Shiru revealed. "The knowledge I bring, as well as Jiraiya, is just something to prove to you that I am not the enemy. Akatsuki is my enemy as well." The intensity in the room made Shiru sigh, their scrutinising gazes beginning to irritate her. "Orochimaru is dead. I have no loyalty to anyone except for my loved ones."

"I owe her my life, Tsunade." Jiraiya spoke up, earning the room's attention as he stared at the blonde Hokage. "Give her a chance."

The slug sannin frowned, before sighing in defeat. "How do you suggest we prepare for the attack? And if you even try to betray us, you'll be cut down." she eyed the redhead with truth in her eyes. She would. They all knew, and they all respected Shiru a little when she only nodded.

"First off, send Fukasaku with Naruto to learn sage mode. His role in this is pivotal." Shiru stated, turning to her cousin whose eyes were wide.

"I can do that!" The elder toad piped up, jumping onto Naruto's shoulder. "You don't mind, do ya Tsunade?"

"Of course not." Tsunade nodded, her face determined. "You better work hard Naruto."

Naruto nodded, but turned to his cousin. Jiraiya let the blonde go to the redhead.

Shiru turned, knowing what he was planning on doing. Instead of pushing him away like he expected, she let him envelop her in a tight hug; her cloak shifting as she raised a hand to pat Naruto's cheek. His eyes were brimming with tears, but he held them in. A small smile formed on her lips.

"You're still short." She commented truthfully. She was 171cm whilst he was 166cm. He frowned, but soon punched her playfully.

"I knew you'd come back." He commented, grinning like a moron. "I just knew it."

Shiru smirked, before punching Naruto in the shoulder; making the blonde cringe at the force.

"Ow, Shiru-chan! That actually hurt!" He whined.

"My apologies. I thought you'd be able to handle it." Shiru smiled softly, surprising her cousin. He'd never seen such an expression on her face, but he found himself liking it. She looked prettier when she smiled. "Now hurry up. I have no idea when Akatsuki's coming, and you need to be ready."

"Alright, alright! Just you wait, guys! I'll save the day!" Naruto grinned. He seemed oblivious to the way the residents in the room stared analytically to the way the cousins treated one another. "Oh! By the way! We need to go to Suna after this!"

As soon as Naruto and Fukasaku left, Shiru sighed. Yujin rubbed his head against her reassuringly, making her pet his fur before returning her eyes to the Hokage.

"Sakura, can you check Jiraiya?" Tsunade sighed. The pinkette nodded.

"This is awkward." Yujin coughed, his tails nudging the smaller foxes.

"You're making things awkward, Yujin." Shiru sighed, before cringing. "I didn't know dogs smelled so bad."

Kakashi glared at Shiru, who in turn smirked slyly.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" she placed her hands in her pockets as she watched his muscles tense.

"Three years, right?" he started off casually.

"I'd apologise for deceiving you, but well. I wasn't really full of emotions at the time." she blinked. "You blame yourself, don't you?"

"Alright, enough." Tsunade ordered. "We can catch up later, you have a reason to be here, so start talking Uzumaki."

"Understood."

* * *

Mamoru stared at Itachi, who was sitting in one of the many cave-like rooms with him.

Finally giving in, the Uchiha glanced at the crimson-eyed teen.

"So, you're going to help Shiru with her plans?" He asked, using the chance of eye contact to initiate a conversation.

"Yes." Was Itachi's monosyllable reply.

For some reason, it reminded Mamoru of Sasuke. _'Probably because they're Uchihas.' _

"What's she doing now?" he asked.

"Making plans with Konoha." Itachi replied.

"Why does she have you here?" Mamoru asked another question, seemingly uncaring of annoying the elder Uchiha.

Onyx eyes glanced at the boy. "Reasons."

Mamoru frowned. "It's because she has a thing for Uchiha guys, right?"

Amused, Itachi's lips twitched upwards. "No."

The crimson-eyed teen sighed in relief. "Thank god. I was afraid I'd have to sit here with her boyfriend."

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're rather honest."

Mamoru grinned. "Well, someone's got to be. I'd rather make sure first hand you're not her boyfriend."

"And if I was?"

"Well, I suppose I'd just have to accept it." he muttered. "That doesn't mean I would like it."

Itachi stared at the fourteen-year-old who petted the little fox in his lap.

"I owe my life to her." he started. "You owe her yours as well, right? See, even if people believe that she's a person like Orochimaru, I know who she really is. I hope you do too."

"I do." Itachi nodded. "I know that she cares about you quite a lot. I know that she's trying to protect all of the people here. She's not a bad person."

Mamoru smiled. "Neither are you. You're the brother of Sasuke, right? The one he's wanted revenge against. If Shiru brought you here, then she knows the truth about you. She's always been able to read people like that. I trust her."

The Uchiha smiled softly at the boy.

* * *

**Ugh. Ugh. Yep. Since so many people have chosen Gaara, I've done it. But I'll say this now, just because he's in the zone of innocent love doesn't mean Shiru and Gaara will DEFINITELY be together in the future. This chapter was so hard to write. I'm tempted to rewrite the chapter, but I give up. I'd appreciate any constructive criticism.  
**

**Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.**


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